Abu Dhabi promises biggest ever Special Olympics World Games in 2019

Abu Dhabi - Over 7,000 athletes from 170 countries participate across 22 disciplines

Abu Dhabi will host the 'biggest ever' Special Olympics World Games in 2019.
The world's largest humanitarian and sporting event will be hosted in the Middle East for the first time and will see over 7,000 athletes from 170 countries participate across 22 disciplines at venues throughout the city. The competitions will be hosted at the Adnec, the Zayed Sports City and the IPIC arena.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said in his message: "I would like to thank the UAE's special needs athletes for their achievements and distinguished record, which boosted our winning the bid of hosting the World Games."

Endorsing the emirate as a 'perfect partner' for the Games, the Special Olympics chairman, Timothy P. Shriver, said Abu Dhabi was an 'obvious choice'.
"Such events require enormous amount of infrastructure and resources. Also, it was time for us to reinvent our movement for digital age," Shriver said, looking for an optimum audience reach.
"So, we looked at who can create Special Olympics 2.0? Who can build infrastructure technologically and creatively to take the message to hundreds of millions of people in next 50 years?" In his opinion there was 'no competition to Abu Dhabi.
"The creative willingness to pioneer new ideas with highest level of skills to build a new business vision for our movement around the Games and that was distinctive here," Shriver said describing as to how Abu Dhabi clinched the bid over five other top cities.
"What will help us in this Olympics is us being a benchmark in the region with our policies," said Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, the UAE Minister of State of Federal National Council Affairs.
Majid Al Usaimi, the UAE Special Olympics national director, said the country was a 'proud host'. "We need everyone's support."
He promised that the event, to be held from March 14-21, 2019, will be the 'biggest ever'. "We will show the world that Abu Dhabi will have the benchmark and best Games ever," Usaimi assured.
So far, the UAE has participated in six World Games and seven Regional Games. The UAE will go to Austria for the World Winter Games in March as part of preparation.
Later in the day, Emirati star footballers Ismail Matar, Ali Khasif and Subait Khater played an exhibition football match with special children, which turned out to be intense one. Goals were scored in the match but at the end sport and specially gifted talents were the real winner.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com