Sports | Wednesday 6 March, 2019 3:00 am |

Saudi Arabia’s Special Olympics team, comprising 50 athletes, will represent the country in the 2019 Special Olympics World Games, set to take place in Abu Dhabi, UAE March 14-21. A delegation of 84 members, including representatives from Special Olympics Saudi Arabia, doctors, and coaches will also attend. More than 200 Saudi volunteers will also work alongside other volunteers from around the world to support the teams’ participation and the delivery of the Games.

 

At the World Games, Saudi athletes will compete across 10 sports: basketball, bocce, athletics, powerlifting, roller skating, swimming, triathlon, table tennis, bowling, and Unified Sports. With less than 10 days to go, the athletes are currently training in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.

 

Commenting on her participation in the World Games, Samia Zakir Siddiq, a 30-year-old basketball player from Jeddah, said, “I have been playing basketball since I was very young, and although winning feels good, taking part is an achievement by itself. I’m very proud to represent my country, and I’m honored to be part of the Saudi national team.”

 

The seven-day competition held in Abu Dhabi will see 7,000 athletes from 192 nations compete in 24 sports at the Special Olympics World Games. More than 500,000 spectators are expected to cheer the athletes throughout the Games.