FOR THE THIRD consecutive time, Egypt's Ayman has been selected regional managing director of the Middle East and North Africa in Special Olympics International. The selection was made at an SOI meeting at its headquarters in Washington. The meeting was headed by Timothy Shriver, Special Olympics president. was chosen following the approval of the majority members of the SOI board. will now head the MENA regional office from 2010 to 2015. He was first appointed in 2000 when the SOI chose Egypt as the head office. He was selected again to serve for a second term which started in 2005 and even before the third term ended, he was given the nod once more. becomes the first regional managing director in the history of the SOI to hold the position three terms in succession. Shriver said the majority voted for "who has managed during the past nine years to successfully implement the programmes of the movement and make the MENA region among the most successful of the seven zones." 's achievements are many: increasing the number of SO athletes in the region from 20,000 in 2000 to 125,000 by the end of 2008; and organising the bi-annual Regional MENA Games -- four starting with 2002 in Beirut, 2004 in Tunisia, 2006 in Dubai and 2008 in Abu Dhabi. served as national director of Special Olympics Egypt for two years. In 2002, he was decorated by the International Olympic Committee for his contributions to the Special Olympics Movement. In 2003, he was selected an SOI executive committee member. The 44-year-old was thrilled with his re-selection, saying it proved how much the SOI appreciated not only his efforts in developing the region's programmes but was an appreciation of the role of Egypt and First Lady Mrs Suzanne Mubarak in supporting Special Olympics not only in Egypt but the entire region.
