Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019, BEYOND THE GAMES

Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 is the largest sports and humanitarian event in the world next year, welcoming 7,000 athletes from more than 170 nations to participate in 24 officially-sanctioned Olympic-style sports from 14-21 March 2019.

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE’s Armed Forces,

Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi will the first ever Special Olympics World Games to hold in the Middle East and North Africa, and will also be the most unified Games in the 50-year history of the Special Olympics movement.

Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 forms an integral part of local, national and regional plans to expand opportunities for people of determination in line with Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s shared vision of a unified and inclusive society.

BEYOND THE GAMES

Special Olympics goes beyond the Games. It is a humanitarian movement that takes place 365 days a year through different sports-related initiatives.

The aim is to deliver a range of programs that champion inclusion beyond the Games.

Unified Sports is one of the flagship initiatives of Special Olympics, where people with and without intellectual disabilities play together in the same teams – the disability disappears and the sporting ability shines!

For the World Games an extensive schools program is underway, where hundreds of schools across the UAE will have the opportunity to study topics related to the Special Olympics, such as tolerance and inclusion.

In addition, schools will have the opportunity to select ambassadors to act as Unified Champions who drive the inclusion agenda forward within the school.

We are the Local Organizing Committee for the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.

We are a separate entity from Special Olympics UAE, which is the national Special Olympics program that works closely with and represents UAE athletes.

PLAY UNIFIED

“Dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences, Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team.

It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.

In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability, which makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all.

Having sport in common is just one more way that preconceptions and false ideas are swept away.” Source: PlayUnified.org

WALK UNIFIED

Walk Unified™ an initiative launched by the Local Organizing Committee for Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.

The recurring event engages the community, bringing together people of determination to walk side-by-side with others from all walks of life.

Walk Unified™ was first launcheSpecial Olympics World GamesSpecial Olympics World Gamesd in January 2018 in Umm Al Emarat Park, Abu Dhabi, and continued through a series of 10 weekend walks.

At the inaugural edition, the Walk led by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and His Highness Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

The first Walk Unified™ generated over 100m impressions across digital and traditional platforms.

The initiative had a powerful impact on the UAE community, bringing together people of determination with intellectual disabilities, their parents, and members of the public from across the emirate and beyond.

VOLUNTEERS/Special Olympics World Games

Volunteers are the backbone of any Special Olympics Games.

For the MENA Games, we had the honor of being supported by 3,000 volunteers, helping us across many essential areas.

For the World Games, we aim to recruit 20,000 volunteers who will play an integral role in delivering a successful Games.

HEALTHY ATHLETES/Special Olympics World Games

“Officially launched in 1997, Special Olympics Healthy Athletes organizes its events in a welcoming, fun environment.

Its events educate athletes on healthy lifestyle choices and identify problems that may need additional follow-up.

Despite a mistaken belief that people with intellectual disabilities receive the same or better health care than others, they typically receive sub-standard care, or virtually no health care at all.

Healthy Athletes has the world’s largest database of health data for people with intellectual disabilities.

Through Healthy Athletes, more than 240,000 health care professionals and students have trained to treat people with intellectual disabilities.

These health care professionals provide improved care to millions.” Source: SpecialOlympics.org

Special Olympics
IX MENA Games Abu Dhabi 2018 | Looking Back

Ahead of the Special Olympics IX MENA Games Abu Dhabi 2018, athletes and coaches from different countries paired with families and students from all seven emirates to experience Emirati hospitality through a series of cultural, sports and community events.

The Host Town program was introduced for the first time in the upcoming IX MENA Regional Games, and the upcoming program for the World Games in 2019 will be the largest cultural exchange program ever conducted in the Middle East. —- https://www.abudhabi2019.org/