MUSCAT: Oman Paralympic teams concluded their participation in the fourth edition of the West Asian Paralympic Games (WAPG), held in Sharjah, UAE, by clinching an impressive tally of 25 colourful medals.
Twelve countries participated in the 4th WAPG, represented by 513 members, including 382 players and 131 coaches and administrators, competing in 7 sports: weightlifting, table tennis, badminton, goalball, wheelchair basketball, boccia and athletics.
During the ceremony, Dr Abdul Razzaq bin Rashid, President of the West Asian Paralympic Federation, handed over the flag of the fifth edition of the games, set to take place in Muscat in 2026. The flag was officially received by Dr Mansour bin Sultan al Touqi, President of the Omani Paralympic Committee.
Following the flag handover, Dr Abdul Razzaq bin Rashid announced the conclusion of the fourth edition of the West Asian Paralympic Games, wishing success to the Sultanate of Oman in organising the fifth edition in 2026 in Muscat.
Before the closing ceremony, Fadel al Hadi, a member of the Oman national weightlifting team, won a silver medal in the 72-kilogramme weight category by lifting 135 kilogrammes. This brought the total medal count to 25 for the participating national Paralympic teams.
Following the ceremony, Dr Mansour al Touqi expressed his profound joy upon receiving the flag for the forthcoming fifth edition of the West Asian Paralympic Games. He extended a warm invitation to all West Asian nations to partake in this momentous event, set to unfold across seven individual and team sports. The Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher will serve as the battlegrounds for weightlifting, athletics, badminton, boccia and table tennis, alongside wheelchair basketball and goalball for team-based competitions.
Al Touqi affirmed that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, represented by the Oman Paralympic Committee, all set to organise this sports event, which is one of the objectives under Oman Vision 2040.
He underscored the imperative to redouble efforts in player preparation and the integration of novel disciplines absent from the previous edition in Sharjah. Such endeavours demand unwavering support from governmental bodies, notably the Culture, Sports and Youth, as well as robust backing from the private sector, pivotal in fortifying the national Paralympic teams' prowess as they strive for podium honours.
Al Touqi added that the achievements of the national teams in the 4th edition of the WAPG place a great responsibility on them to double efforts in preparing the players and implementing several new games in which they did not participate in the fourth edition in Sharjah. This requires significant and multiplied efforts and support from the Culture, Sports and Youth, as well as from the private sector, upon which they rely heavily to support the national Paralympic teams in the upcoming period to prepare them in a manner that enables them to compete for podium positions.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
