LOS ANGELES, the host city of the 15th Special Olympics World Summer Games, recently announced that the SO Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will be represented in the tournament. The LA event will be held from 24 July to 2 August and will involve 443 athletes divided as follows: Egypt (64), United Arab Emirates (74), Bahrain (11), Iran (32), Iraq (12), Jordan (20), Lebanon (22), Libya (35), Morocco (36), Palestine (31), Saudi Arabia (25), Qatar (21), Syria (18), Tunisia (10) and Algeria (28). Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organisation for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Tom La Bange, Los Angeles Council member, session's Chairman welcomed SO MENA regional president and director Ayman Abdel-Wahab and expressed his appreciation for the “great role” Abdel-Wahab was playing in the region during such a volatile period that the Middle East was passing through. The MENA region is being represented by one of the biggest delegations in the Games. La Bange also awarded Abdel-Wahab the Golden City Certificate and invited him to sit next to him on stage during a conference held ahead of the Games to allow heads of delegations to showcase their cities. “I was surprised by such warmth and a welcome that I did not expect at all,” Abdel-Wahab said. “I am sure that the Los Angeles Games will be a marvelous one. The organisation is perfect and I myself personally visited the places where the MENA athletes will stay to make sure that our athletes will be comfortable.” This is the second time for Los Angeles to host the Summer World Games. The first dates back to 1984 when LA held the Summer Olympic Games. The 2015 SO World Summer Games will host 7,000 athletes representing 177 countries.
