UAE Special Olympics a leading model for wellbeing of differently-abled athletes
The UAE Special Olympics movement began in the early 1990s through a committee under the UAE Disabled Sports Federation, during which hundreds of athletes were trained and numerous local and regional competitions hosted.
In 2017, the UAE Special Olympics was re-established as a public benefit organisation recognised by the Ministry of Community Development, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
The movement gained significant momentum in 2019 following Abu Dhabi's hosting of the Special Olympics World Games, where the UAE delegation achieved historic results. That edition saw the largest athlete participation in the history of the Games, with 7,000 athletes from 200 countries.
At the 2022 Malta Games, UAE Special Olympics athletes won 16 medals, including 6 gold, 8 silver, and 2 bronze.
Following the global success in Abu Dhabi, the UAE Special Olympics built on this achievement with further milestones, most notably at the 2023 World Games in Berlin.
There, the UAE achieved the best performance by an Arab country, claiming 73 medals – 18 gold, 22 silver, and 33 bronze.
In the 2023 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, the UAE Special Olympics powerlifting team secured 20 medals – 15 gold and 5 silver.
At the 2024 Malta National Games, UAE athletes earned 15 medals across five sports, with 20 athletes from various clubs for People of Determination participating.
UAE Special Olympics athletes also won 22 medals – 12 gold and 10 silver – during the Middle East and North Africa Athletics Championship held in February 2024 in Amman.
In May 2024, the UAE hosted the inaugural UAE Special Olympics Games, comprising two events: one for Unified Schools with 400 athletes, and another for more than 600 athletes from clubs and centres across the country.
At the Torino Games in Italy, UAE Special Olympics athletes claimed 16 medals, achieving the best performance by an Arab and Middle Eastern country in the prominent global event, with a delegation of 11 athletes.
Talal Al Hashemi, National Director of UAE Special Olympics, said, "Since the 2019 Abu Dhabi Games, we have witnessed a new era of empowerment and excellence for People of Determination in sports. We have invested in a strategy aligned with the wise leadership's vision to support individuals with intellectual and developmental challenges, and we have seen remarkable progress in the development and empowerment of our athletes."
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