Two Emirati athletes entered the record books on Wednesday by winning the UAE’s first medals at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy.
Abdullah Al Nuaimi won a gold medal for snowboarding and Mina Al Mazrouei secured bronze, also for snowboarding.
The UAE has sent 11 athletes with intellectual disabilities to the week-long inclusive international event that uses sport as a platform to break barriers and shatter preconceived notions about people with special needs.
Posting celebratory video footage and photos on social media, the UAE team congratulated the medallists and described the moment as one that encapsulated “unity and sportsmanship”. The team also expressed pride in the hard work, consistency and effort it took to qualify for the Games.
“We are incredibly proud of Abdulla Al Nuaimi and Meena Al Mazrouei’s outstanding performances at this year's Special Olympics World Winter Games,” Talal Al Hashemi, national director of Special Olympics UAE, said. “These medals are a testament to their perseverance and the consistent support of our wise leadership for people of determination. Their success represents the spirit and values of the UAE, and we are confident they will continue to achieve great things as the Games progress.”
Moment of pride
The two medals are the first won by any team from the Middle East and North Africa region in the Games, which end on March 15, the Special Olympics UAE team said.
Mr Al Nuaimi, 23, represents the Ras Al Khaimah Club for People of Determination and Ms Al Mazrouei, 23, is from the Abu Dhabi Club for People of Determination.
The UAE team is competing in six disciplines: snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing, snowboarding, figure skating and short-track speedskating. This is the first time the UAE has sent a team to compete in the Games. In total, 1,500 athletes competing represent 102 delegations.
Local clubs for people with special needs help support families with children who have intellectual disabilities by providing consistent support, access to training and equipment.
Opening up sport
The UAE athletes, many of whom are competing in a major sporting event for the first time, have been training for more than a year on ski slopes, snow parks and skating rinks in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. They were selected from more than 70 athletes from across the country who took part in trials over six months between 2023 and 2024.
Their participation is part of the UAE’s aim to develop a winter sport culture for families with children with disabilities with the best training facilities available for athletes.
The country’s Special Olympics sports federation has said will continue to work with athletes with disabilities so they can access opportunities in all sports and are able to obtain technical expertise from world-class coaches.
