KUWAIT: Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Disabled Persons Affairs (PADA), Wafaa Al-Mahna, affirmed that the winning by Kuwait delegation of Kuwait Special Olympics participating in the World Winter Games (Turin 2025) of four different medals is a great achievement for the country, especially for the sport of people with disabilities. Al-Mahna expressed her pride in this great sports achievement, dedicating the victory to the supreme leadership and the generous support she said in a statement to KUNA on Tuesday.

She said that PADA has always encouraged and supported its members in various fields, indicating that the efforts of the Public Authority for Sports are clear in activating Law 8/2010 aimed at supporting such sports initiatives that promote the rights of people with disabilities and give them the opportunity to make achievements similar to their non-disabled peers.

In a similar statement to KUNA, Special Olympics Kuwait Chairman Hanaa Al-Zawawi expressed her pride in this sporting achievement for people with intellectual disabilities despite the difficulties faced by the delegation, the most prominent of which was the lack of capabilities and training places, in addition to what they went through snowy weather and new winter games that they practiced for the first time. Al-Zawawi emphasized that the Kuwait delegation insisted despite all these difficulties to represent the country and raise its flag in the world forum, achieving four different medals, two for Hajar Al-Rashidi (gold and bronze) and two for Abdullah Al-Ali (silver and bronze), praising the determination of the participating champions and the dedication of the coaches who all sought to achieve a new record added to the sport of intellectual disabilities in the country.

She dedicated this achievement to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, “the caring father of his children, especially people with intellectual disabilities,” expressing her hope for more support and backing from the concerned authorities for the champions of the Kuwait Special Olympics to make more achievements that contribute to raising the country’s name in various forums.

In turn, the Honorary President of the Sports Club for the Disabled Al-Sheikha Shaikha Al-Abdullah Al-Khalifa Al-Sabah emphasized to KUNA that the rehabilitation and care of people with intellectual disabilities and enable them to reach global successes is proof of the skills and capabilities of the group that need support and encouragement from everyone, pointing out that the nature of the Winter World Games and exceeding them with this amount of various medals on behalf of the country calls for pride. She added that this achievement in the sport of people with intellectual disabilities requires everyone to join hands in order to continue to achieve more medals and ascend the highest ranks, stressing that the Kuwait Special Olympics has gone a long way to highlight these capabilities and emerge with this honorable image.

For his part, Mohammed Al-Ali, father of Abdullah, who is participating in the World Championships (Turin 2025), told KUNA that he sought through his son’s participation to send a message to all parents who care for people with various disabilities or non-disabled people to encourage their children and give them the opportunity to highlight and develop their talent. He pointed out that the interest of the Kuwait Special Olympics and the provision of sufficient time from the establishment of camps in Dubai and Cairo before the World Games resulted in this achievement in the name of the country, stressing his son’s determination to make more achievements and work to develop and improve his performance in various sports fields.

The delegation’s reception was attended by a number of official bodies that sponsor and support people with intellectual disabilities, including the Public Authority for Persons with Disabilities Affairs, the Public Authority for Sport, the Kuwait Association for Parents of Persons with Disabilities, in addition to a number of personalities, activists, players of Al-Tomouh Sports Club and Special Olympics Kuwait, and the families of the players.