UAE Athletes Win 16 Medals at Special Olympics Invitational Games 2022

(WAM) Special Olympics UAE athletes won 16 medals at the Special Olympics Invitational Games Malta 2022.

Decorated Special Olympics UAE swimmer, Omar Al Shami, won gold in the 50-metre freestyle and breaststroke. Awadh Al Ketbi won silver in the 50-metre backstroke and 50-metre freestyle. Mohammed Al Zubaidi won silver in the 50-metre butterfly and bronze in the 50-metre freestyle event. Athletes Faisal Al Marzouqi,

Shaima Al Naqbi and Hamda Murad each won gold in the singles bocce competition. Abdulaziz Al Gharib took home a bronze in the individual bocce competitions. In the men’s doubles competition, Abdulaziz Al Gharib and Faisal Al Marzouqi won silvers. Hamda Murad and Shaima Al Naqbi won silvers in the women’s doubles bocce competition.

In bowling, athletes participated with Unified Partners. Reem Jamal and Abdullah Al Jaidi, competed for the UAE national bowling team and in individual categories. Mariam Al Hosani won silver in the singles bowling category and Saleh Al Marri came in fourth place in the singles bowling category. Hosani and Jamal, won the gold medal in the unified women's doubles category, while Saleh Al Marri and Abdullah Al Jaidi, won silver in the unified men’s doubles category.

The UAE was the only Arab delegation at the Games and the second from outside Europe among 23 participating countries. The athletes competed in aquatics, bocce and bowling and won six gold, eight silver and two bronze.