Nice's Special Olympics work saluted

OGC Nice's backing for Special Olympics has been acknowledged after they were named joint-winners of an award promoting initiatives aimed at improving the lives of people with disability.

A cheque for €10,000 was presented ahead of Nice's home game against SC Bastia in March for an award organised by the French football league, the players' association and the French national lottery. It was accepted by Jordan, a member of the Nice team directed by first-team player Timothée Kolodziejczak that will represent France at the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles.

Nice have been ambassador club for Special Olympics France since 2012, with the project initially launched with a series of tailored football days, when young people living in medical-educational centres in the region played under the supervision of players from the Nice academy.

That evolved into unified football days as mixed teams – made up of players with no disability and Special Olympics players – contested tournaments organised using the club's facilities. Now Kolodziejczak's team are preparing for 2015, a journey that began in 2013 and ends in Los Angeles.  

Founded in 1968, UEFA's social responsibility partner Special Olympics provides opportunities in a wide variety of sports to more than 4.2 million athletes with intellectual disabilities in over 170 countries.