It will continue until the fifth of next month, with the participation of 4,400 male and female players

Al-Qayed raises the national flag at the opening of the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020

Mohamed Al-Qayed: My choice for this mission is an honor.

Emirates today

Our hero, Mohammed Al-Qayed, carries the UAE flag at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, tonight, in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, which begins with the participation of more than 4,400 players from 160 countries, and will continue until the fifth of next month, in a difficult challenge in light of the Corona pandemic that imposed its presence on the scene.

And 12 champions from among the sons of the Emirates carry the ambitions of the "people of determination", to ascend the podiums and raise the state's flag high in this important Paralympic forum.

Mohammed Al-Qayed expressed his happiness and pride in raising the state flag in this forum, noting that his choice for this task is a tribute and honor, which increases his determination to achieve new achievements for the state and honor it by reaching the podiums.

Al-Qayed has a rich record of achievements, as he won silver and bronze in the London Paralympic Games 2012, and then three golds at the World Games for Mobility Disability and Amputation in the Netherlands “Stadskal” the following year.

He continued his brilliance in 2016, winning five golds, as he won four golds in the Asian Oceania Athletics Championships "Dubai", and his first gold at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Al-Qayed's last achievements were three medals in the 2019 World Championships in Athletics (gold, silver and bronze).

Driving support

For his part, the President of the UAE Paralympic Committee and Head of Mission, Mohammed Al Hamli, thanked the wise leadership for its unlimited support for People of Determination, which had a positive impact on our national teams in all international forums.

He said: "The hope leads us to achieve more achievements on Japanese soil. This hope stems from a promising and past reality that is witnessed by numbers and championships. Paralympic sports have witnessed, through previous sessions, our heroes obtaining many medals and in an upward fashion since the Sydney Games at the beginning of this century. During which we won four medals, and this high performance of our heroes continued until the last Paralympic (Rio), which witnessed us getting seven medals in powerlifting, athletics and shooting, and God willing, we are all confident in our heroes that this upward trend will continue to achieve more medals and numbers, so that the flag of the country will rise. The Emirates in the eastern sky of the globe.

19 medals

Al Hamli added: “As we record the sixth participation in the Paralympic Games, we congratulate ourselves and the country’s wise leaders for this continuous series of participations, as well as achieving 19 medals during the previous five participations, in which four golds in powerlifting, athletics and shooting have shone.

We are also proud to record the first female participation in shooting through the player Aisha Al-Muhairi, as well as our first participation in cycling through the player Ahmed Al-Mutaiwee.”

He continued, "During the last period, we have prepared technically, physically and psychologically by conducting several external and internal camps, as well as special gatherings to determine the qualification numbers required to participate in the Paralympic Games."

He stressed that the last period "was witnessing strong competitions between the players, which ended with the selection of the owners of the best numbers without reducing the efforts of the players who did not succeed, and from whom we expect much and much in the future."

sight

The current version carried good news for the visually impaired, as they can now read what is written on the medals they will win. The Paralympic Games medals are engraved with “Tokyo 2020” in Braille, and there are circles visible on the side of the medals to facilitate distinguishing the types of medals by touch, and these This is the first time in the history of the Paralympic Games that this option has been provided to qualified athletes.

12 athletes representing the UAE shooting

■ Abdullah Sultan Al-Ariani participates in 4 categories: 10 meters standing, 10 meters lying 60 rounds, 50 meters (standing, anchoring and prone), and 50 meters lying 60 rounds.

■ Sultan Saif Al-Ariani: 50-meter categories, 3 positions and recumbency.

■ Saif Al-Nuaimi: 10 meters reclining and 50 meters reclining.

■ Aisha Al-Muhairi: 10m standing category «R4».

power-ups

■ Muhammad Khamis Khalaf: in the weight of "88", and Moza Obaid Ali Al-Zeyoudi in the weight of "55".

Athletics

■ Mohammed Al-Qayed, Noura Al-Ketbi, Ahmed Jassim Nawad, Maryam Al-Zeyoudi, and Sarah Mohammed Al-Junaibi.

bikes

■ Ahmed Mubarak Al Mutaiwee.

• 12 male and female champions from the sons of the Emirates who carry the ambitions of the "People of Determination".

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