With an expected 7,000 athletes from 170 countries expected to participate, the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games is undoubtedly one of the biggest sporting events to take place in the UAE.
Happening from 14th to 21st March, the event will showcase the competitive talents of people with learning disabilities through Olympic-type individual and team sports.
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That the UAE has been promoting inclusion and integrating people with special needs into the community only makes this one-of-a-kind event more fitting.
It also perfectly matches the country’s 2019 ‘Year of Tolerance’ theme.
So with only a few weeks before competition heats up, here are some of the things we know thus far about the upcoming spectacle…
Volunteers
Over 20,000 people have signed up to help for the event, making it the largest volunteer programme in the UAE to date. In total, 40 percent of Emiratis registered as volunteers followed by Indian and Egyptian nationals.
More than half of those who registered are female. Incidentally, this year’s event will witness a record-breaking number of female athletes – more than 3,200 – joining the competitions.
Parade ceremony
The opening ceremony on 14th March will take place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi. A spectacular parade will allow spectators to see all the participating athletes. Also taking part in the ceremony are international celebrities and sporting heroes. Tickets to the opening event are available for AED 100 at www.ticketmaster.ae and www.meetthedetermined.com
Multiple venues
The games will be held in different venues including Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club, Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi and Hamdan Sports Complex and Dubai Police Club Stadium in Dubai.
Torch tour
The Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 Law Enforcement Torch Run will tour all seven emirates for ten days.
The official torch will arrive into Abu Dhabi Airport from Athens via Etihad Airways on 28th February before the torch run begins at Wadi Al Wurayah Waterfalls in Fujairah at 9am on 4th March.
The torch will then travel to Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Sharjah, spending a day visiting iconic landmarks in each of the four Emirates including Jebel Jais, Fujairah Fort, Al Majaz Waterfront and Al Thiqa Club, a Sharjah-based club set up to support people with special needs, which also serves as a training venue for some of UAE’s Special Olympics athletes.
The torch will then spend two days in Dubai where it will be carried past several attractions including the Burj Al Arab, Dubai Frame, Al Seef Village and the Atlantis Hotel, with a ceremony in Burj Park at 5.20pm on Sunday 10th March.
After Dubai, the torch will spend a day each in Al Ain and Al Dhafra before concluding its route in Abu Dhabi with a visit to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Founder’s Memorial, Abu Dhabi Louvre and other iconic city locations.
Free entry
The games are free to attend. However, registration is a must at www.meetthedetermined.com. Once registered, residents will have access to the World Games festival areas with entertainment and will be updated on the schedule and timings of the games. On-site registration facilities will be available at the venues although organisers are encouraging the public to sign-up online to save time.
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