UAE, Austria meet for Special discussion
ABU DHABI WILL GET TO LEARN FROM AUSTRIA’S HOSTING
The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi and organisers of last year’s Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria met this week to discuss the takeaways from the event.
Both parties signed a partnership agreement after the Special Olympics flag was handed from Austria to the UAE last year at the end of the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Graz and Schladming from March 14-25. His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, received the delegation from Austria.
Peter Wheeler, chief executive officer of the 2019 Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi said: “The Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria was a huge success. This partnership will enable us to share critical information and expertise ahead of our own World Games in Abu Dhabi next year.
“We are working together towards a common goal of promoting global awareness about the importance of inclusion and tolerance for people of determination, and this target becomes more achievable through our partnership with Austria.”
Markus Pichler, Managing Director of the Special Olympics Winter World Games Austria, thanked the UAE for organising this fruitful visit and highlighted the importance of the growing partnership between the two countries in order to help stage a successful Special Olympics World Games
and expressed hope that the UAE keeps on taking these important steps to increase global awareness of inclusion and tolerance towards people of determination.
As part of the partnership, a joint training programme for respective Special Olympics football teams from both countries will take place this year. Players from each side will train together in Austria in September and then Abu Dhabi in December, after the UAE Special Olympics football team return from their first ever participation in the Unified Football World Cup in Chicago in July.
The 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi next March 14-21 will be the largest sport and humanitarian event ever held in the region. Over 7,000 athletes from more than 170 countries will take part in 24 sports across 10 venues in the UAE capital.
As part of the partnership, a joint training programme for respective Special Olympics football teams will take place this year.