Special Olympics UAE hopes athletes can emulate success of Abu Dhabi World Games at Malta contest
Twelve UAE athletes are set to compete in the Special Olympics Invitational Games Malta 2022, the first international event the organisation has held in Europe since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event runs from Friday until Wednesday, with the Emirati athletes to represent their country in aquatics, bowling and bocce alongside more than 1,000 participants from Special Olympics agencies around the world.
The Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organisation for children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities.
It provides year-round training and activities for five million participants and Unified Sports groups in 172 countries.
Special Olympics UAE, the only national organisation from the Arab world to be represented in Malta, will compete in bowling with a unified team that includes two players from the UAE bowling team – Reem Jamal and Abdullah Al Jaidi.
The most prominent and active Special Olympics agencies from around the world have been invited to participate, state news agency Wam reported.
Special Olympics UAE secured its place because of the online sports and fitness programmes it introduced over the past two years.
The organisation has also successfully ensured a safe return to in-person national sporting events.
“Our preparations for Malta 2022 Games have been ongoing for some time and have culminated in a closed training camp for our 12 athletes, their coaches and technical staff,” said Talal Al Hashemi, national director of Special Olympics UAE. “There is a lot of excitement and anticipation, and to many of our athletes this is very reminiscent of their experiences at the World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.
“We hope that they are equally successful in Malta, and importantly we want them to enjoy themselves, feel empowered and included.
“In many ways, this is how success looks like to us.”
A six-day training camp for the athletes included bowling practice at the Khalifa International Bowling Centre in Zayed Sports City, swimming at the Mohamed bin Zayed Sports City Centre – Water Sports Complex and bocce training at the Abu Dhabi Club for People of Determination in Al Mafraq.
Maria Camilleri, Malta’s ambassador to the Emirates, visited the training camp in the capital this week and wished the athletes success at the competition.
The Emirati team at the event has been sponsored by Aldar Properties, while the official transport partner is the Integrated Transport Centre in Abu Dhabi.