Oman Daily Observer

Oman athletes ready as Paralympic Games open

The Oman Paralympic Committee, in cooperatio­n with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth, is represente­d by two athletes: Mohammed al Mashaikhi and Sarah al Anbouri, who will both compete in the shot put event

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.”