Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, head of the 2017 World Winter Games, flew to Abu Dhabi to meet Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the Armed Forces, and hand over the flag of the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in the UAE in person. The event was attended by a number of dignitaries from Special Olympics and the 2019 World Summer Games organising committee members in addition to Ayman Abdel-Wahab, president and managing director of Special Olympics in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) who expressed his “great happiness” to see his dream come true after his long journey with the Special Olympics movement starting from 2000. “I am sure Abu Dhabi will dazzle the world with the first World Summer Games to be held in the MENA region. It will be a fantastic one and an example that will encourage all the countries of the world to follow. I will also borrow the new expression that His Highness Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed used to describe our athletes: ‘inspiration owners' to describe the Emirati people and their leaders. Everyone is working ahead and all as a team are doing their best to show the whole world that they can do it and I am sure they will excel,” Abdel-Wahab said. Bin Zayed receives the flag from Kern The crown prince together with Kern met the members of the UAE Special Olympics team during a ceremony to announce the sponsors for the 2019 competition that will be hosted in the capital. Sheikh Mohammed also spent time with the 32 UAE athletes who will compete in the event. The Games are expected to attract more than 7,000 athletes from 170 nations competing in 22 sports. About 500,000 people are expected to watch the competition. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, took possession of the Special Olympics flag in Austria in March. The handover took place at the closing ceremony of the Special Olympics Winter World Games in Graz. Kern was one of the dignitaries at the reception held at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. Adnoc and Etihad Airways are sponsoring the biennial games in Abu Dhabi which will be the first time it is held in the Middle East. “It is a great honour for Adnoc to be a sponsor and supporter of the Special Olympics, which gives those with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to demonstrate their athleticism, courage and commitment to excellence in sport on a global stage,” said Sultan Al-Jaber, minister of state and group chief executive of Adnoc. Etihad Airways Manager Mohamed Mubarak Al-Mazroui announced that Ittihad Airlines will be one of the main sponsors of the event and will provide air flights for the athletes, families, coaches, organisers and journalists who will be attending the event. “It is a great honour for us to be part of such a prestigious Games and we will do our best to make it a great event,” Al-Mazroui said. With the handover now complete, it signals 22 months until 7,000 athletes from 170 nations descend on Abu Dhabi for more than two weeks of competition. Male and female athletes with intellectual disabilities from numerous cultures and backgrounds will compete alongside each other in a worldwide competition that showcases their sporting abilities in gymnastics, basketball, cycling, figure skating, football, golf and more. The 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi will feature 22 sports, including football, swimming, cycling, athletics, horse back riding and powerlifting. Following the handover ceremony, Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “On behalf of the UAE, I am delighted to receive the flag that officially marks the countdown to the 2019 Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi. “It is a great honour to be the first nation in the Middle East to be awarded this event. We are committed to the principles of sporting excellence for all members of our community and we look forward to welcoming the thousands of athletes from around the world to the United Arab Emirates,” Sheikh Nahyan said. The Abu Dhabi Games logo was also revealed during the closing ceremony. Inspired by the UAE tradition of palm frond weaving, or khoos, it is a metaphor for the unifying power of the Games, and demonstrates how Abu Dhabi will create a spirit of inclusion and unity among all. Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organisation for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions for more than 5.3 million athletes and Unified Sports partners in nearly 170 countries.
