PANAJI: Siya Sarode won a record four medals, including two golds, but the powerlifter from Sanguem almost missed participating in the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin.A student of Sanjay Centre for Special Education, Curchorem, Siya was at first refused a visa for Germany, where the Games are being held, after she failed to produce the necessary documents.Siya lives with her uncle and aunt after her mother passed away and father went missing.

She needed a legal guardian certificate for the Schengen visa, which she didn't have, but intervention from the chief minister's office (CMO) meant that the athlete got the document in quick time.Taniya picks up bronze in roller-skatingSiya got her visa just 24 hours before the World Games commenced last week,” Victor Vaz, national sports director for Special Olympics Bharat, told TOIon Wednesday.“The team had already left for Berlin and we asked a coach to stay back and accompany her separately.

There was, however, never any doubt that she would win medals and do all of us proud.”The 15-year-old did not disappoint as she won a record four medals, that included two golds in deadlift and squat.

She picked up a silver in combined category and a bronze in bench press.“Siya deserves all the accolades for her specta cular efforts but she could have so easily missed this big event.

It is all thanks to the intervention of chief minister Pramod Sawant, social welfare minister Subhash Phal Desai, and the state disability commissioner Guruprasad Pawaskar for ensuring that she g ot the visa.

We are highly grateful to all of them.

The (legal guardian) certificate takes months sometimes, but we got it in just 24 hours,” said Vaz.There was a medal spurt for athletes from Goa as besides Sarode, Taniya Ulhas Usgaonkar also climbed on the podium in roller-skating.

A student of Keshav Seva Sadhana, Bicholim, the 15-year-old won bronze in the 30m straight line roller-skating event.

She finished behind the Romanian duo of Mihal Arsenie and Corina Campeanu i n the DO3 division.

Taniya has been skating since the age of eight and showed great resolve to learn the sport despite falling multiple times and failing to even walk with the skates on for long spells at the start.

Her teachers said Usgaonkar had “great self-confidence and enough interest” that helped her overcome all obstacles.Taniya grew in confidence a fter attending two national camps in Gurgaon and Noida.It was Goan athlete Geetanjali Nagvekar who started the gold rush after she won the 800m race to cheer up the Indian contingent on Tuesday.

It wa s the first gold medal for the country, and since then the athletes have matched the best from across the world.At the Hanns-Braun-Stadion at Olympiapark early in the morning, Geetanjali, r unning a time of 4:31:40, finished almost eight seconds ahead of her competitor in second place to put India on the board.India also won big on the roller-skating rink where eight medals (2 golds, 2 silver, and 4 bronze) were grabbed through the day.