Inaugural Special Olympics Gulf Badminton competition – Abu Dhabi 2024 concludes with Awarding Ceremony at Khalifa University
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – May 13, 2024: The inaugural Special Olympics Gulf Badminton Competition – Abu Dhabi 2024, concluded with an awarding ceremony, held at Khalifa University.
The event, held between May 9 to 12, was organized as a collaboration between Special Olympics Middle East and North Africa and Special Olympics UAE. Abdullah Al Nubi, Special Olympics Oman, secured the gold medal in the men’s competition in Division One, Hassan Ali Al Blooshi, Special Olympics UAE, secured the gold medal in Division Two, while Mahmoud Ghaloum, Special Olympics Bahrain, topped Division Three.
In the women’s competition, Shahad Abdullah, Special Olympics Saudi Arabia, won gold medal in Division One, while Sheikha Al-Hindi, Special Olympics Kuwait and Zakia Ahmed Abbas, Special Olympics UAE, secured the gold across Division Two and Three, respectively. In the double’s competitions, Abdullah Al Noubi and Fawaz Faraj, Special Olympics Oman, won gold for Division One, while Hassan Ali Al Blooshi and Zayed Ali Al Kaabi, Special Olympics UAE topped Division Two. In the women’s doubles competition, Zakia Ahmed Abbas and Zuleikha Ghareeb Al Mansouri, Special Olympics UAE, took the gold.
His Excellency Talal Al Hashemi, National Director of the SOUAE, said: “We were pleased to host six Special Olympics delegations from across the Gulf, and feel proud of the success achieved by the Special Olympics Gulf badminton competition, which was organized for the first time and hosted by the UAE. I congratulate the medal winners, even though I believe that the real win was in the meeting of these athletes that proved that with determination and persistence we can achieve miracles.”
Al Hashemi added: “I extend my thanks to all Special Olympics UAE partners for their valuable contribution to the success of the competition, especially Special Olympics Middle East and North Africa, the World Badminton Federation and the Emirates Badminton Federation, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and Khalifa University, who have been instrumental in this success. We look forward to more competitions that contribute to the inclusion of PODs into their communities and promote sports in general.”
Delegations from Special Olympics programs in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE participated in the competition, which was hosted by the UAE for the first time. On the final day, the winners were awarded and honored by His Excellency Mohammed Al Nuaimi, member of the Board of Trustees of the Special Olympics UAE and
Special Olympics UAE is preparing for the next World Winter Games, which will be hosted in Turin, Italy, from March 8 to 16, 2025. More than 2,500 men and women athletes from around the world are set to participate in Turin 2025.
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About Special Olympics UAE:
In October 2017, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced Special Olympics UAE as an independent organization dedicated to changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Her Highness Sheikha Maryam Bint Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was appointed as the Honorary President, and Her Excellency Shamma Bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.
The organization aims to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through sports while providing them with leadership opportunities to help them display their talents and integrate them with the mainstream society.
Special Olympics UAE has launched a variety of community programs, including those focused on families and young athletes. It has also introduced a number of initiatives to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to create a more inclusive society.
The Special Olympics of the UAE received international recognition from the International Special Olympics Foundation-USA in December 2017.
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About Khalifa University of Science and Technology:
Khalifa University of Science and Technology, the UAE’s top-ranked research-intensive institution, focuses on developing world leaders and critical thinkers in science, engineering, and medicine. The world-class university endeavors to be a catalyst to the growth of Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s rapidly developing knowledge economy as an education destination of choice and a global leader among widely acknowledged international universities.
For more information, please visit: http://www.ku.ac.ae/