Lebanon is taking part in the 16th edition of the Special Olympics World Games, currently underway in Berlin, Germany. The major sporting event opened on June 17 and will close on June 25.
The Special Olympics World Games is the world’s largest sporting event open to all. No fewer than 7,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities from 170 countries will compete in 26 Olympic sports at the 2023 event. This is the first time that Germany hosts these Games, the biggest sporting event organized in the country since the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
The Lebanese Special Olympics delegation consists of 17 athletes, competing in 7 disciplines. Here are the names of 14 of these 17 inspiring athletes that we were able to obtain: Abdallah Khalifeh (table tennis), Abbas Salhab (swimming), Ali Awad (bocce), Abbas Yassine (badminton), Bilal Koteish (badminton), Elissa Harik (swimming), Hossein Al Awad (athletics), Mohamad Omar Choucair (cycling), Mariam Hachicho (table tennis), Mahmoud Jalloul (swimming), Rania Doughman (athletics), Rabah Knio (bowling), Rami Abdullatif (bowling) and Sarah Khalifé (swimming).
In addition, here is the full list of the 26 sporting disciplines on the Special Olympics World Games program: athletics, badminton, basketball, 3×3 basketball, volleyball, beach volleyball, bocce (bowls), bowling, cycling, equestrian, field hockey, football, futsal, golf, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, handball, judo, kayaking, swimming, open-water swimming, powerlifting, roller skating, sailing, tennis, and table tennis.
