·
Organised by the Hamdan
bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC) and the Dubai Club for the Disabled from the
22-25 February
·
Dubai hosts Grand Prix for
the second time
·
Welcoming 500
participants from 37 countries
·
Prestigious opening
ceremony to be held on 21 February at the Creek Park in Dubai
Under the patronage of
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of
Dubai, organised by the Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC) and the Dubai
Club for the Disabled, the 6th Fazza International Athletics IPC Grand Prix
Competition will take place between 20 -26 February at the Al Thiqa Club in
Sharjah.
The event will see more than 500
participants representing 37 countries from across the Middle East, Asia and
Africa and the rest of the world competing in a highly competitive and much
anticipated event. Details of the competition were announced at a press
conference held on 18 February at the Dubai Club for the Disabled.
The competition is being organised under
the auspices of the globally recognised International Paralympic Committee
(IPC).
Local organisers also explained that the Dubai event
is now internationally recognised and is part of the a global series of Grand Prix
events that take place in 9 different countries including China,
Brazil, Switzerland, Italy, USA Tunisia, Germany leading up to the finals in
the United Kingdom.
Contestants will be able to participate in
the following categories; visually disabled, cerebral palsy, motor paralysis
and neural paralysis. The wide range of events will see the competitors from 37
nations racing in athletics events from the 100 metres sprint through to the
5000 metre distance run. Other events
include competitive challenges like Discus, Javelin, Mace, Shot Putt, High
Jump, Long Jump, Triple Jump and Relay.
Prizes will be
awarded to winners in the first three places with a special prize for any
individual athlete who breaks a world record.
Attending the press conference were Thani
Juma Berregad, chairman of the supreme
organising committee of the Fazza Championships
and CEO of Dubai Club for the Disabled, Majid
Abdullah Al Usaimi, Championship Director, Suad Darwish, Director of
Championships at Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Centre (HHC), Sumaya Saeed
Khalfan, Public Relations and Marketing Manager at HHC, Khalid Rashid, Public
Relations Manager at HHC, Ahmed Mohammed Hasan, the Head of the Technical
Committee, Mohammed Hilal Al Mroshdi, Head of Financial Committee, Hamad baljaflah
head of Public Relation Committee, Ebtesam Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Head of the
Media Committee, Iqhlas Abdel Aziz the Manager of the Investment and Marketing
Unit.
Attending the press conference, Thani Juma
Berregad, chairman of the supreme organising committee of the Fazza
Championships, CEO of Dubai Club for the Disabled, said that the Championship
represented another important step for Dubai as it becomes recognised as a
global centre to host the world’s biggest international sporting occasions.
He explained: “This championship
which is organised by HHC as part of the diversified Fazza Championships began
six years ago under the patronage of His Highness at a local level. The aim of
the event was to enable Emiratis from all demographics particularly those who have
special needs but are just as talented as able bodied athletes. That has now developed and grown into an
event that brings athletes from all over the world to Dubai.”
Majid Abdullah Al Usaimi, General Secretary
of the Dubai Club for the Disabled added: “This year we have enhanced the
impact and value of the Championships through the creation of a special
training initiative for judges and trainers from 17 -26 February at the Al
Bustan Centre in Dubai as part of the ongoing work by the Dubai Club for the
Disabled.”
Khalid Rashid from HHC talked about the importance of
the Championships. He said: “Now in its 6th edition, this Championship
reinforces its importance as an international sporting event at every level
from the organisation to physical hosting of the event. This helps to reinforce
Dubai’s status and the UAE as a country with solid infrastructure and
facilities.
“We are enormously proud at HHC to organise such an
event that has attracted 500 athletes from 37 countries. We hope that the Championship
will secure excellent media coverage and we believe that it reflects the attributes
and philosophy of the host country through world class organisation and
management.”
At the press conference, organising committee members
said that athletes and officials from the different countries would arrive on
20 February ready for the eagerly anticipated official opening ceremony that
would take place on 21 February at the Creek Park in Dubai.
The competitions will be held over a four day period
from 22 – 25 February with the teams departing Dubai on 26 February.
Official Sponsor:
Al Tayer Motors, Emirates NBD and Global Village
Participating Countries:
Tunisia; Slovakia; Nigeria; Greece; Saudi
Arabia; Mexico; Japan; Scotland; Great
Britain; Algeria; Iraq; Azerbaijan; Germany; Bulgaria; Kazakhstan; Egypt; Kuwait;
Qatar; Russia; Bahrain; Sweden; Thailand; Ireland; Brazil; Cameroon; Denmark;
Jordan; Lithuania; Netherlands; Switzerland; Hong Kong; Gambia; India; Oman;
Syria; Mauritius and host nation, the United
Arab Emirates
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