Riyadh, February 8, 2024, In Dubai yesterday, the draw for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region's representation at the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games, slated to unfold in Torino, Italy on March 8, 2025, took place. Engineer Ayman Abdel Wahab, the regional president of Special Olympics International, along with members of the regional presidency, were in attendance for the draw.
The Kingdom secured participation in the "Unified Floorball" team category, a unique discipline where individuals with intellectual disabilities and their nondisabled peers collaborate within the same team. The draw encompassed selections for other sports featured in the Olympics, including cross-country skiing, speed skating, snow running, dance sports, figure skating, and the team sport of floorball.
During the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games, the Kingdom dispatched a delegation of 11 participants, including eight athletes who contested in snow running and speed skating events. They were among a cohort of 289 participants representing 16 nations, spanning from the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, and Iraq to Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and beyond. The Kingdom engaged in four sports during the event: floor hockey, speed skating, cross-country skiing, and snow running, amidst the seven sports comprising the Olympics. Additionally, the region participated in the Youth Conference through a player and an escort.
