The Games kick off in March next year. Antonie Robertson / The National
The Games kick off in March next year. Antonie Robertson / The National
The Games kick off in March next year. Antonie Robertson / The National
The Games kick off in March next year. Antonie Robertson / The National

UAE schools to learn how to better engage special needs pupils in sport


Ramola Talwar Badam
  • English
  • Arabic

Teachers and pupils from across the UAE are to learn how to help more people with special needs get involved in sport.

The initiative, run by the British Council and the Special Olympics UAE, aims to educate children on how best to create an inclusive atmosphere for those with disabilities.

Organisers hope the scheme will help generate a lasting legacy for the Special Olympics World Games, to held in Abu Dhabi next year.

Initially the pilot project will cover some 4,000 pupils in 25 government, private and special education centres in the Emirates, but will later be extended.

“We want our country to be a friendly place for all people with special needs,” said Talal Al Hashemi, national director of Special Olympics UAE.

“We will be hosting one of the biggest humanitarian sports events in the world so now is the right time to spread the lessons to the young.

“Inclusion needs time and has to be done right, so we'll start with clinics and workshops and slowly cover as many schools as we can.”

The Special Olympics is to take place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai next year from March 14 to 21.

Some 7,500 athletes are expected to compete in the first event of its kind held in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Part of the vision behind holding the Games is to build a more tolerant society around the world using the power of sport.

As part of that plan, trainers from the UK will spend 10 days in the UAE working with coaches, teachers and students to spread the message that sport should be as inclusive as possible.

Gavin Anderson, director of the British Council in the UAE, said the programme aimed to break preconceived notions.

“Sport in schools is often competitive and can become about the best and most athletic children getting the most out of activities," he said.

“Our programme will encourage the belief that participation in sport is for everybody, particularly for people with intellectual disabilities.

“It will prepare leaders and teachers to support people with intellectual disabilities on an equal footing so they are included and don’t feel they are being treated in patronising way.

“It provides examples of how you can encourage everyone to participate. It focuses on different sports that are designed to be a more collaborative experience rather than about who scored the most goals.”

Trainers from the UK will include workers from the charity Youth Sports Trust International.

The trust has worked in 60 countries around the world to use the power of sport to improve the lives of young people.

A record-breaking 192 countries are set to take part the Games, with ministers hoping it will redefine the boundaries of what is possible for those living with disabilities.

Athletes will compete in a wide variety of sports including badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, football, cycling, judo, kayaking and swimming.

There will also be events in weightlifting, sailing, table tennis and gymnastics.

Some 3,000 coaching staff will be on hand to assist the athletes as well as 20,000 volunteers to take charge of close to half a million expected spectators.

Authorities also hope the Games will act as a catalyst to job creation.

Before the Games begin next year, all seven emirates will welcome competing athletes to their towns and homes as part of a host town programme.

Competitors will be offered cultural tours and other events in an effort to provide insight into the life in the UAE.

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Key facilities
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  • Premier League-standard football pitch
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  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make

When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.

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This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).

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$250 a month

$500 a month

$1,000 a month

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$640,829

$1,281,657

$2,563,315

35

$303,219

$606,439

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$263,191

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Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

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Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Series info

Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday

ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23

T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29

Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com

Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.

Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

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Name: Thndr

Started: October 2020

Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: FinTech

Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000

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South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (w), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Rassie van der Dussen.

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