Slumdog heroes bring Olympic gold

Thyagaraj and N C Raju were part of the hockey team that finished on top at the Special Olympics in IdahoTwo boys from Bangalore's slums have brought home Olympic gold. Winners: Tyagaraj, Roopa, Chandrakala and Raju (left to right) with their coach Sachidanandamurthy Pic/ Satish BadigerThyagaraj and N C Raju, both physically challenged, were part of the winning Indian hockey squad at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Idaho, USA.Goalkeeper Raju is credited with many saves while it was striker Thyagaraj's two goals against Cyprus that helped the Indians grab gold.We are proud of them and are celebrating their victory, said Sachidanandamurthy, their coach.They practised for two yearsThey are delighted and say they are fortunate to be part of the winning squad.Champions Thyagaraj and Raju are the only two who represented our state in the national hockey team, said Sachidanandamurthy. They practised for two years to make it to the national team.While Thyagaraju lives in Yeshwanthpur, Raju is from Srirampura. Both have hearing disabilities and are undergoing vocational training at Aruna Chetana, a school in Malleshwaram that trains physically and mentally challenged students. Staff at Aruna Chetana celebrated the victory as the Olympic heroes returned home yesterday.u00a0The Special Olympics was held between February 7 and 13 for physically and mentally disabled children. About 3,000 athletes from 85 countries participated.