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Para athletes from across West Asia are set to touch down in the kingdom this month to compete for gold and glory.
The 3rd West Asian Para Games, held under the patronage of Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the first deputy chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, chairman of the General Sports Authority and president of Bahrain Olympic Committee, will be held from February 18 to 27 to raise awareness about inclusivity and the importance of sport for all.
“Among the objectives that we will be focusing on is educating the community on the importance of inclusivity and how we encourage people with impairments to be part of our society, as well as the importance of sport in our lives,” said Shaikh Mohammed bin Duaij Al Khalifa, Bahrain Paralympic Committee president and Supreme Organising Commitee chairman.
The announcement was made during an official Press launch at the Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence and Spa, organised by the Bahrain Paralympic Committee in collaboration with the West Asia Para Federation.
“Bahrain’s ability to host such prominent games falls in line with the objectives of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport as well as the General Sports Authority,” he added. “Hosting the games holds many benefits such as strengthening the country’s position as an ideal destination for sporting events, as well as reaffirming the kingdom’s keenness and readiness to organise games.”
The kingdom has been participating in the Games since they were first launched in 2017. The first edition was staged in the UAE with para-athletes competing in five sports including athletics, powerlifting, goalball (a team sport designed for athletes with visual impairment), table tennis and wheelchair basketball. The second edition of the multi-sport event was held in Jordan.
This year’s Games includes Boccia, which is a precision ball sport that is contested at local, national and international levels by athletes with severe physical disabilities.
The Games, which will include competitors from Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE and Yemen, will be held across four different locations in the kingdom.
All services and facilities have been equipped accordingly for easy access for all Para athletes and their teams, as well as individuals with disabilities.
Hamad Al Ahmed, head of the transportation and reception committee, added that everything was on track in terms of the reception, transportation and accommodation for competitors. The delegates will be received at Bahrain International Airport by a group of young Bahrainis with vast experience that have previously worked within the Bahrain 2021 Asian Youth Para Games that concluded in December last year, in addition to various other tournaments held in the kingdom.
Follow @bahrainnpc on Instagram or visit them on www.npc.bh, for details.
