UAE Special Olympics Strengthens Regional Impact With Record-Breaking Medal Hauls
ABU DHABI, March 22 (Bernama-WAM) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Special Olympics continues to make significant strides in empowering People of Determination, with athletes achieving landmark results in regional and international competitions -- including recent triumphs in Malaysia.
What began in the early 1990s under the UAE Disabled Sports Federation has evolved into a growing national movement, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
Re-established in 2017 as a public benefit organisation under the Ministry of Community Development, the UAE Special Olympics gained strong momentum after the country hosted the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
That edition witnessed the largest athlete turnout in the history of the Games, with over 7,000 participants from 200 countries, and marked a turning point for UAE’s commitment to inclusion through sports.
Among recent regional highlights, the UAE powerlifting team bagged 20 medals -- 15 gold and 5 silver -- at the 2023 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, reinforcing the country's competitive edge on Asian soil.
At the 2023 World Games in Berlin, the UAE delegation delivered its best-ever performance by an Arab nation, securing 73 medals including 18 gold, 22 silver and 33 bronze.
Success continued at the 2024 Malta National Games and the Middle East and North Africa Athletics Championship in Amman, where UAE athletes brought home a combined 37 medals, further underlining the growing strength of the country’s People of Determination in sports.
In May 2024, the UAE hosted its inaugural Special Olympics Games, featuring over 1,000 athletes from schools, clubs and community centres nationwide.
Most recently, at the Torino Games in Italy, the UAE achieved another milestone, claiming 16 medals with a compact 11-athlete delegation -- the highest medal tally by any Arab or Middle Eastern nation in the event.
“Since the 2019 Abu Dhabi Games, we have witnessed a new era of empowerment and excellence for People of Determination in sports,” said Talal Al Hashemi, National Director of UAE Special Olympics.
“Our strategy, aligned with the leadership’s vision, is showing strong results in developing our athletes and creating an inclusive sporting culture.”
-- BERNAMA-WAM
