UAE Paralympics team returns to UAE, gets pompous welcome
- 07 Sep 2021
Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
The UAE Paralympics team arrived at Dubai International Airport on Tuesday coming from Japan following their distinguished participation in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
The team included Mohamed Al Qayed Al Hammadi, who won two bronze and silver medals in the wheelchairs racing.
Al Hammadi was accompanied by his coach Obaid Al Zaabi, who played a major role for Al Hammadi to make this achievement and ascend the podium.
The last group returning from Tokyo included Majid Abdullah Al Osaimi, President of Asian Paralympic Committee, Theban Salem Al Muhairi, Secretary General and Director of UAE Paralympic Committee, Tarek Souei, UAE Paralympic Committee’s Technical Consultant, and international athletics referee Abdul Nasser Brahimiya.
The group was received at Dubai International Airport by Khalid Al Midfa, Assistant Secretary General of UAE General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare, Dr. Tariq Sultan Bin Khadim, Vice Chairman of National Paralympic Committee, Mohammed Bin Darwish, Executive Director of National Olympic Committee, and Dr. Abdul Razzaq Bin Rasheed, Financial Secretary of National Paralympic Committee, among others.
Bin Khadim stressed that it was a dazzling achievement for the Paralympic team to come in the first place at the GCC level and fourth in the Arab world, noting that raising the UAE flag in Tokyo was a source of pride.
Bin Khadim valued the role of the clubs and underlined their importance for people of determination as seen in their keenness on their participation in all local championships.
Meanwhile, Al Osaimi thanked all those who received the team at the airport, saying that the people of determination began their achievements from the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, when the UAE flag was first raised on the podiums.
More achievements have been made since that date and the UAE’s tally of Paralympic achievements reached now 22 medals, he added.
The UAE people of determination were on time despite the challenges they faced, as the Tokyo Games is one of the most difficult tournaments in terms of the difficulty of procedures and precise health precautions, but the UAE champions knew there was nothing impossible, he said.
For his part, Al Muhairi stressed that the UAE's occupation of the 54th place out of 163 participating countries and the 4th in the Arab world is a source of pride.
Al Hammadi, the winner of silver and bronze medals, said he was proud to carry the UAE flag in the opening and closing ceremonies, though this was a great responsibility for him because he was forced to focus on making an achievement and ascending the podiums.
The achievement that was made should motivate everyone Emirati athlete, whether Olympic or Paralympic.