Abu Dhabi: The curtains came down on the Mena Special Olympics Games at an emotional closing ceremony but the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) was already abuzz with the enthusiasm and prospect of the capital hosting the 2019 Special Olympics Summer World Games.
A spectacular video of the week’s highlights was played to the crowd and it focused on the incredible efforts, results and comradeship of all the athletes, volunteers, national service members, sponsors and the local organising committee. “Everything has gone beyond our expectations to be honest. The bigger games are in 2019 but the feedback from every person engaged in these Games, be it volunteers, athletes or family members has been incredible. People have been transformed by the experience. Just to be engaged with the athletes and to see their determination has changed them as people,” said Tala Al Ramahi, Chief Strategic Officer of the Special Olympics World Games 2019.
More than 1,000 athletes from 31 countries had travelled to Abu Dhabi to take part in MENA Games and that number will increase by seven folds for the Special Olympics World Games.
UAE will need 20,000 volunteers to put things together for the Special athletes and their families and cater to over 500,000 spectators.
Al Ramahi was of the view that the biggest challenge in front of them in the coming year will be to focus more on the volunteer programme.
“We had over 4,000 volunteers helping us for this Mena Games but next year we will need 20,000. So we have to make sure all are well-trained and that will be something we will have to work really hard on. The reason is because volunteers are the key components of planning and running the games with us,” revealed Al Ramahi adding that she and her team will have to get to work straightaway to get things rolling in the right direction for the 2019 Special Olympics.
Peter Wheeler, CEO of the 2019 Special Olympics World Games, too echoed the same sentiments as Al Ramahi, and said, “It’s been a great 10 days. It was great to see all the plans fall into place which makes a lot of people proud. The engagement of people was great — families, kids all came out in support. I met some volunteers who were supposed to come for one day and ended up staying for the entire event. So seeing these athletes have changed the life of many I can say,” said Wheeler, whose effort would have got a further boost on hearing some heart-warming speeches from the athletes and family members at the closing ceremony.
Olympics ceremony protocol was then followed which included the lowering of the Special Olympics flag and by extinguishing the Special Olympics ‘Flame of Hope’ in the cauldron at ADNEC.
