MUSCAT, August 29
The Oman national paralympic team is participating in the 17th Paralympic Games, hosted by the French capital, Paris. The opening ceremony took place at the Place de la Concorde, with around 4,400 athletes from 168 countries participating. The Games will span 11 days and feature 22 different sports.
The Oman Paralympic Committee, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth, is represented by two athletes: Mohammed al Mashaikhi, who will compete in the shot put, and Sarah al Anbouri, who will also participate in the shot put.
The Omani delegation consists of Dr Mansour bin Sultan al Touqi, head of the mission, Mohammed al Hinai, mission director, Akram al Maawali, mission administrator, in addition to the team coach Sonia Mustafa, and physiotherapist Hani al Shammakhi, in addition to the athletes Mohammed al Mashaikhi and Sarah al Anbouri.
In conjunction with their participation in the opening ceremony, the national team players continued their training in preparation for the competitions that will begin on September 3 with the participation of Mohammed al Mashaikhi in the shot put competition, followed by the participation of Sarah al Anbouri on September 7 at the Stade de France for Athletics.
Regarding the participation, Mansour al Touqi, stated: "The participation of our national team in this edition of the Paralympic Games is a great achievement for paralympic sports in the Sultanate. We have been working for years to develop sports for people with disabilities, and our arrival at this stage is the result of strenuous efforts from the players and the technical and administrative staff."
“Our players, Al Mashaikhi and Al Anbouri, have shown a high level of commitment and dedication in their training. Mohammed has prepared intensively for the shot put competition, and we hope that he will achieve a result that matches our expectations. Sarah is an outstanding player and we are confident that she will be able to compete at the international level. The participation of Omani players in such an event reflects the progress that Oman has made in supporting sports for people with disabilities.”
He continued: “We are also here not only to represent Oman, but to confirm that sports are a powerful message for the integration of people with disabilities into society, and that they are capable of achieving great achievements at the national and international levels. The support of the government and the ministry has been and continues to be a major incentive for all of us, and we look forward to returning home with honourable results.”
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