The road to the Special Olympics requires intensive training and determination but for the Syrian athletes, it also meant overcoming the chaos of war.
The team of 107 athletes from across Syria will compete in 16 sports at the World Games in Abu Dhabi next week.
Their journey to the UAE capital has required a great deal of organisation, flexibility and sometimes, even dodging fire.
“There were times when a shell would land in the middle of the pool or gym but that never stopped us. The authorities cleared it off quickly and we would continue,” said Mohanad Taha, sports manager of Syria’s Special Olympics Foundation.
“We did not allow the war to stop us. In fact, we became more determined to join international championships and win medals. We went to Los Angeles, Athens and Austria.”
The team gathered athletes from all of Syria’s provinces. To get around issues of travel within the country, a manager had to be appointed for each sport in each of the provinces.
Fifteen days before travelling to Abu Dhabi, they held a unified boot camp in Damascus for all the athletes.
The team also made sure to include new athletes who never participated in championships abroad.
“We always make 40 per cent of the team first-timers. That way we give everybody a chance to travel. We like to win but our goal is also to make everybody feel the honour of being part of the team,” said Mr Taha.
Parents also played a big role in forming the team.
“They always brought their children to practice, even when the security situation was at its worse,” he said.
The athletes were obliged to train three times a week, regardless of the situation on the ground.
The team was inevitably reduced because of visa issues.
“We were supposed to participate with 142 athletes but not everybody’s visa came out,” said Mr Taha.
“We also had a problem with the coaches’ visas. For a couple of sports, the athletes’ visas came through but not their coaches.”
They tried to remedy the situation by assigning more teams to the coaches who were able to travel.
“But that could affect the athletes’ performance. When you are used to your coach and waiting for their encouragement at the most critical time, it could bring you down not to find them there.”
Nonetheless, spirits seemed high among the athletes as they excitedly chatted over dinner at the hotel where they were staying in Abu Dhabi.
Abdulrahman Al Halabi, a 24-year-old powerlifter, proudly played a video of his last record on his mobile phone.
During his last competition, in Egypt in 2015, he dead lifted 120kg and at the gym, where he trains in Damascus, he was able to lift 140kg.
“We are hoping he will record it now in Abu Dhabi,” said his coach Zarieh Balian.
Since he began power lifting in 2012, Mr Al Halabi has earned gold, silver and bronze medals.
“I love powerlifting because it makes me feel powerful and I am looking forward to raise my head high, and my coaches and everybody who supported me,” he said.
Asmaa Nasreldeen, 24, shares the same passion. Her late father took her to train with coach Balian for the first time in 2011.
“And I immediately fell in love with the game,” she said.
She earned four bronze medals in her first international championship in Athens.
She also competed in Egypt, Los Angeles and the Winter Games in Austria.
“They picked her to join the skiing team, and she had never skied professionally before,” said the coach.
She earned her team a silver and bronze medal.
Abdulrahman Al Khayat, 23, who will be competing in rollerblading, was selected to join the regional games in Abu Dhabi last year. But an error in registering his name meant he could not go.
“Now I am participating in the Olympics so I guess it turned out for the best,” he said.
Mr Al Khayat took up the sport four years ago after a coach picked him for a group of his friends as they played at a park.
“She saw that we were fit and were able to perform certain moves and invited us to join the roller blading team,” he said.
Mr Khayat trained every day after school hours.
“My first competition was a local one in Deir Atiyah [a city 75km south of Homs]. I won two gold medals.”
He then took part in a national competition in Damascus but will be making his international debut in Abu Dhabi next week.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
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Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
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