The motto of the recently concluded regional games for the intellectually disabled was never clearer. Abeer Anwar reports from Damascus "Let me win... but if I cannot... let me be brave in the attempt". This is the Special Olympics oath to which all participating athletes on and off the field aspire to. This would include the athletes from 23 countries involved in the 7th Special Olympics Middle East and North Africa (SOMENA) Regional Games which ended on 2 October in the Syrian capital. While all the athletes tried to win, if they did not, they were happy nonetheless. This is what differentiates the Special Olympics from the Paralympics , the champiionship for physical diabilities, in which medals count more than participation. In SO it is always said you are a winner regardless of the number of medals hauled in. Damascus played host to the 10-day event which was inaugurated by Syria's First Lady Asmaa Al-Assad, patron of SO Syria. Al-Assad attended the opening ceremony called "The dream... the reality". The opening show recounted the true story of an intellectually handicapped boy, Ali Deeb, whose father Hussein was one of Syria's famous football players who helped Syria win the 10th Mediterranean Games gold medal in 1987. Hussein Deeb, who always dreamt of Ali as becoming a hero, never saw his son's intellectual handicap as an obstacle. He worked with Ali day and night to make a hero and, through his son, relive his past glories. By practicing sports and entering the Syrian Special Olympics programme Ali became a hero and the dream turned reality. It was the first time in a SOMENA Games opening ceremony that an intellectually disabled athlete played the main character. Diala Al-Haj, Syria's social affairs minister and SO Syria chairman said that Syria "was able to successfully send a message to the whole world that in spite of all the things that Syria is facing we are able to organise a MENA Games not to be forgotten. We sent a message to the whole world that the intellectually handicapped have many powers and they can be an effective tool in the society they belong to. They should be a source of pride and honour, not pity and sorrow." Ayman Abdel-Wahab, SO MENA managing director said Syria had made the 7th edition of the Games a "marvelous event" and made the job of the coming MENA Games host country very challenging "if it is to better the standard and organsiation we experienced in Syria." Abdel-Wahab added that the Games, under the patronage of Asmaa Al-Assad, had lent the Games importance and support. "It also attracted the attention of all Syrians to the intellectually disabled who have many hidden strengths that could easily show with just some effort." He also sent a message to all SO MENA programmes that "we still have a long way to go to reach out to 200 million intellectually handicapped people around the world from out of which MENA has attracted only 150,000, 10,000 of whom are included in the Syrian programme. "We have a long way to go and as a region we have to help each other, co- operate and do our utmost to reach our target by the end of the 2015 developmental plan. We are not just looking for quantity but quality as well," Abdel-Wahab added. All MENA programmes participated with their delegations in the 23 sports of the Games. Sending 149 athletes competing in 13 sports Egypt collected 14 gold, 14 silver and 18 bronze medals all of which were dedicated to Suzanne Mubarak, honorary chairwoman of SO Egypt. Recapping some of Egypt's achievements, in badminton, Ahmed Zaki and Mariam Magdi took the gold while the bronze went to Ashraf Mahmous and Aya Ahmed. In bocce, Dina Abdel-Moneim collected the gold and Fouad Nabil and Nesma Mohamed the silver. In equestrianship, Egypt's sole medal was a bronze via Omar El-Shenawi. In basketball, the girls were better as they beat Lebanon in their first match 26-18 to before coming face to face with Algeria in the final of their group. The athletes played like it was a grudge match as they tried to avenge Egypt's loss to Algeria in the World Cup qualifications last year. Egypt won handily 18-11 to come in first and nab the gold. Their athletes celebrated by dancing to patriotic Egyptian songs. The men came second. In table tennis, Sayed Hamdi and Mustafa Mahmoud won two gold medals while Ali Faramawi took the silver. In bowling, Ahmed El-Gohari collected the silver and teammate Nouran Ehab the bronze. In athletics, Egypt collected 11 medals: three gold by Nour Mohsen in the 100m, and Ingi Ali and Ibrahim Mahmoud in shot put, six silver by way of Kareem Ibrahim and Eissa Ahmed in shot put and Fatma Abdel-Kader and Walaa Abdel-Hamid, Karim Ibrahim and Eissa Ahmed in the 100m. The two bronze medals were snatched in the men's and women's 100x4 relay. In swimming, Egyptians collected seven medals: two gold for Nadeen Tarek and Amr Mustafa in 50m freestyle, one silver for Rahma Khaled in 400m freestyle and four bronze for Lubna Mustafa in 400m freestyle, Ahmed Karim and Moataz Nasser in the 50m breast, and Ahmed Abdel-Moneim in 400m freestyle. In weightlifting, four gold medals went to Abdel-Rahamn Mustafa. "I'm very happy with what I did. I want to go back to Egypt to show my parents the gold medals," Mustafa told Al-Ahram Weekly. Between them, Amira Rashed and Dalia Darwish took eight bronze. Both were very excited about the medals with Rashed saying, "We came to win two medals and now we are going back with four." Alongside the SOMENA Games, a number of conferences were held for families, youth, and leadership. The families' conference helps families from around the MENA region to meet and discuss their problems, share experiences and reach conclusions. "What makes the Special Olympics movement special is that it does not only care for the athletes' fitness through competition but for his health, welfare and his family and takes into consideration his problems and needs," Nibal Fattoni, SO MENA initiatives coordinator, explained. "In the leadership programme, for example, we prepare SO athletes to be leaders and representatives in their national programmes by being board members. The athletes are urged to give opinions and have a say. They sit with each other to discuss their future, plan for it and solve whatever problems may arise." The Healthy Athletes Programme was inaugurated by Syrian Minister of Health Dr Rida Saéed at the Faiha sports complex. "Alongside the Games a number of medical check-ups are undertaken for SO athletes during which we ensure that the athletes are fit and healthy to be able to compete and conclude their Special Olympics journey safely," Salma El-Ghandour, SO MENA Healthy Athletes Programme coordinator, said. "At the medical centre we have a number of volunteer doctors who deal with intellectual disabilities on a professional basis because the challenged need special treatment and care."
