UAE set for Games

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The UAE’s wheelchair Paralympics medallist Mohammed Abdullah Al Hammadi, leads the contingent on to the field at Yonost Stadium in Sochi in the Russian region of Krasnodar, on Sunday evening.
The UAE's wheelchair Paralympics medallist Mohammed Abdullah Al Hammadi, leads the contingent on to the field at Yonost Stadium in Sochi in the Russian region of Krasnodar, on Sunday evening.

Dubai - IWAS world event draws over 600 athletes in Sochi

By Moni Mathews

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Published: Tue 29 Sep 2015, 7:07 PM

Over 600 athletes and officials, including a strong UAE contingent took part in the colourful opening ceremony of the 2015 International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) World Games at Sochi, Russia from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3.
The disciplines included in the Games this year are archery, arm wrestling, athletics, para-taekwondo, swimming and table tennis. Barring the arm-wrestling event, the 45-member (including officials) UAE squad will take part in the rest of the events. For the UAE, participation at the Games will be a big launching pad in their final preparations for Rio Olympics next year.
IWAS Chief Operating Officer, Charmaine Hooper, said: "IWAS is pleased to benefit from the legacy of the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics in regard to the interest it created in para-sport and believes that the IWAS Membership will support the Games with a record number of entries. We all look forward to a very successful IWAS World Games 2015."
Hosts Russia are the favourites to finish as the overall champions with strong opposition coming from other European nations, the US and the Asian giants China, South Korea and Japan.
The UAE led by world class performers, Para-Olympians Mohammed Abdullah Al Hammadi and Thuraya Al Zaabi have also other accomplished names like Ziad Ghazi Al Harthy, Abdulaziz Shukaily, Issa Al Zubaidi, Aisha Salim Al Khalidi, Abdullah Hassan Hyaa, Mariam Khamis Al Matrooshi, Abdullah Mohammed Almspahi, Rashid Ahmed Zouaydi, Khaled Ali, Massoud Rashidi , Hamad Al Zaabi, Salim Ahmed Al, Ghuloom Khurshid, Mohammed Abdullah Al Shehhi, Habib Baloch, Humaid Al Mansouri, Oabdallah Ghaferi Ali and Yusuf Rashid Al Kaabi taking part in the Russian ski and holiday resort which hosted the last Winter Olympics.
Al Hammadi led the UAE team along with mission chief Tariq Sultan bin Khadim, vice president, UAE Disabled Sports Federation and board member, IWAS.
Sultan said: "The participation of the UAE with 21 athletes comes in the framework of the Union plan to expand the circle of participation and the quest for the rehabilitation of the largest number of players for interaction with others in this global sports movement. "All of us back home and here in Sochi have full confidence in our heroes to achieve landmarks. The more the disability, the more determined we are."
Meanwhile, the technical hands of the archery, table tennis, para-taekwondo and swimming went through the briefing sessions on Saturday and Sunday, to familiarise themselves with the latest changes in rules and event classifications.
IWAS previously known as the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF) were the founders of the Paralympic Games. The IWAS Games supports and encourages the development of athlete pathways within the Paralympic movement through multi-sports events hosted worldwide. Recognised and encouraged by the International Paralympic Committee as a key effort towards Paralympic movement, the annual Games offer international competition opportunities to a broad spectrum of athletes from under 18s up to the masters level for athletes of 40 years and over.
moni@khaleejtimes.com


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