Emirati athletes are gearing up for glory at the Special Olympics World Games, after taking part in a joyous opening ceremony this weekend.
The Emirates is aiming to make its mark overseas after it successfully hosted the international event in Abu Dhabi four years ago.
The UAE's 167-strong delegation is the largest from the Mena region, including 72 athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as technical, medical, and administrative staff.
The Special Olympics was first held in Chicago in 1968 and has grown over the decades into a global celebration of unity, inclusion, equality and diversity.
International harmony was on full display during the opening ceremony at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on Saturday as athletes drawn from all corners of the world took part in a colourful parade.
Representatives of each country were asked to bring water from their homeland to pour into the Special Olympics River.
UAE competitor Ghanem Al-Maamari carried water collected from Al-Ain Oasis.
The UAE team will be vying for podium places in 20 sports staged in 17 locations across the German capital.
Athletes will represent the UAE in sports such as swimming, badminton, bowling, athletics, beach volleyball, basketball, cycling, equestrian, and powerlifting.
“We are ready for the games, especially after the extensive preparations and training camps we held throughout the year,” said Talal Al Hashemi, national director of Special Olympics UAE.
“We are delighted to be representing the UAE on a global stage, and spread its message of inclusion, dedication, and tolerance, which is the legacy of the World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.”
Special Olympics UAE adopted the slogan “The Road to Berlin” in its preparations for the Games.
Their sporting journey began at the start of the year with a series of training camps at home and abroad.
The Women's Unified Football Team travelled to Japan for a week-long training camp in January
More than 7,000 athletes with disabilities from 190 countries will take part in the Games, which conclude on June 25.
Championing equality
The UAE's staging of the event left behind an inspiring legacy.
In 2021, an exhibition was held at Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace to honour the impact of the 2019 global sporting event.
The display, A Journey of Determination, highlighted the stories of people whose lives were changed by the games.
In 2020, President Sheikh Mohamed, who was Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi at the time, pledged $25 million to help fund the global expansion of an inclusive education project led by the Special Olympics movement. The pledge was made to enable the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools initiative to improve even more lives all over the world.
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The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
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The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
Day 3, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Just three balls remained in an exhausting day for Sri Lanka’s bowlers when they were afforded some belated cheer. Nuwan Pradeep, unrewarded in 15 overs to that point, let slip a seemingly innocuous delivery down the legside. Babar Azam feathered it behind, and Niroshan Dickwella dived to make a fine catch.
Stat of the day - 2.56 Shan Masood and Sami Aslam are the 16th opening partnership Pakistan have had in Tests in the past five years. That turnover at the top of the order – a new pair every 2.56 Test matches on average – is by far the fastest rate among the leading Test sides. Masood and Aslam put on 114 in their first alliance in Abu Dhabi.
The verdict Even by the normal standards of Test cricket in the UAE, this has been slow going. Pakistan’s run-rate of 2.38 per over is the lowest they have managed in a Test match in this country. With just 14 wickets having fallen in three days so far, it is difficult to see 26 dropping to bring about a result over the next two.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
