15 - 21 March 2001
Issue No.525
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 15 - 21 March 2001 Issue No.525 |
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Disabled prove they are able
Egypt's mentally disabled athletes collected seven medals at the World Winter Games. From Alaska, Abeer Anwar writes on some unique players and the games they play
Egypt bagged two gold, four silver and one bronze medal at the 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Alaska. And it did so employing just 20 athletes.
From top: Egypt's Special Olympics team pose together; running for glory
photos: Ayman Barayez
On a shoestring budget and having practiced for only three months, the team caused major surprises, none bigger than the 4-0 upset of hosts the United States in floor hockey. Attended by Eunis Kennedy Shriver, founder of Special Olympics International (SOI), the match was especially difficult for Egypt which just two hours earlier had edged Kuwait 2-1 on a golden goal.
But physical fitness and poise saw the team through. The Americans could do little in the game and eventually resorted to high-sticking the Egyptians in a failed attempt to slow them down.
For more than an hour after the match, the Egyptians celebrated in the indoor hall, dancing and singing to the tune of Mohamed Munir's "Sia Sia."
The gold medal was one step better than the silver the team took home in the 1997 Games in Toronto.
"I'm very happy we were able to beat the Americans on their home court," said captain Mohamed Said, who described his opponents as brash. Omar Mohamed, the championship's top scorer, called it "a fantastic thing which proves to the world that we came all the way to win the gold."
The rest of Egypt's medals came from snowshoeing, a talking point in itself. Spectators didn't quite know what to make of a team whose country has no snow -- the team trained on the sand near the Pyramids -- yet can compete in the event so successfully.
Hatem Sameh collected two silver medals and one bronze in the 100m, 200m and 400m events. Hanan Abdel-Hamid took the gold in the 200m and Eman Abul-Fetouh came second in the 400m. The team also collected the silver medal in the 100x4m relay.
"It's an achievement to take six medals after participating for the first time in the event," coach Bahaa Mukhtar said. "That's why we're going to the next Winter Games with a greater number of athletes who will take part in more events."
On the sidelines of the Games, SOI officials said they were so impressed by a five-year plan suggested by the managing director of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, they will apply it to the five other MENA offices in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America. Ayman Abdel-Wahab's plan aims at increasing the number of athletes in the MENA area from 16,000 to 110,000 by 2006.
The SOI is also sending Timothy Shriver, SOI president, to Egypt to honour Mrs Suzanne Mubarak for what it said was her great help with mentally disabled athletes. It said Mrs Mubarak was the main reason for Egypt's leap in championships for the handicapped and for being chosen as the headquarters for the new MENA office.
In other news, the MENA Regional Leadership Counsel (RLC) has appealed to the SOI to try to persuade Ismail Osman, chairman of MENA RLC and SOE, to continue with MENA RLC for four more years together with Magda Moussa, RLC managing director. The efforts of both, cited the RLC, has led to an increase in the number of mentally handicapped athletes participating in other Arab countries.
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