Emirati athletes are gearing up for glory at the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/special-olympics/public-school-inclusion-programme-to-ensure-special-olympics-legacy-endures-1.839135" target="_blank">Special Olympics</a> World Games, after taking part in a joyous opening ceremony this weekend. The Emirates is aiming to make its mark overseas after it successfully hosted the international event in <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/the-special-olympic-world-games-are-an-inspirational-celebration-of-human-potential-1.832406" target="_blank">Abu Dhabi</a> four years ago. The <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/government/2022/05/24/support-from-uae-leaders-makes-special-olympic-athletes-feel-they-own-the-world/" target="_blank">UAE's</a> 167-strong delegation is the largest from the Mena region, including 72 athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as technical, medical, and administrative staff. The Special Olympics was first held in Chicago in 1968 and has grown over the decades into a global celebration of unity, inclusion, equality and diversity. International harmony was on full display during the opening ceremony at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on Saturday as athletes drawn from all corners of the world took part in a colourful parade. Representatives of each country were asked to bring water from their homeland to pour into the Special Olympics River. UAE competitor Ghanem Al-Maamari carried water collected from Al-Ain Oasis. The UAE team will be vying for podium places in 20 sports staged in 17 locations across the German capital. Athletes will represent the UAE in sports such as swimming, badminton, bowling, athletics, beach volleyball, basketball, cycling, equestrian, and powerlifting. “We are ready for the games, especially after the extensive preparations and training camps we held throughout the year,” said Talal Al Hashemi, national director of Special Olympics UAE. “We are delighted to be representing the UAE on a global stage, and spread its message of inclusion, dedication, and tolerance, which is the legacy of the World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.” Special Olympics UAE adopted the slogan “The Road to Berlin” in its preparations for the Games. Their sporting journey began at the start of the year with a series of training camps at home and abroad. The Women's Unified Football Team travelled to Japan for a week-long training camp in January More than 7,000 athletes with disabilities from 190 countries will take part in the Games, which conclude on June 25. The UAE's staging of the event left behind an inspiring legacy. In 2021, an exhibition was held at Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace to honour the impact of the 2019 global sporting event. The display, <i>A Journey of Determination</i>, highlighted the stories of people whose lives were changed by the games. In 2020, President Sheikh Mohamed, who was Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi at the time, pledged $25 million to help fund the global expansion of an inclusive education project led by the Special Olympics movement. The pledge was made to enable the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools initiative to improve even more lives all over the world.
