The National Paralympic Committee has assigned Ahmed Al Badawi, a member of the cycling team, and Maryam Al Zeyoudi, a member of the athletics team, the honour of raising the UAE flag at the opening ceremony of the 17th edition of the Paralympic Games “Paris 2024” scheduled for Wednesday, August 28.
This is Al-Badawi’s first participation in the Paralympic Games, while it is the second for Maryam Al-Zayoudi, the winner of the gold and silver medals in the Asian Games “Hangzhou 2023”, and the gold medal in the World Championship in Japan 2024.
The two players expressed their pride in being chosen to carry the country’s flag in this major Paralympic event, considering it a great responsibility, hoping that their ambitions will continue to be fulfilled and that they will contribute to raising the UAE flag by reaching the podiums.
The UAE is participating with 14 players in 5 sports: shooting, athletics, weightlifting, judo and cycling, in the “Paris 2024” Paralympic Games, among 4,400 male and female athletes competing in 23 sports, the events of which will be held in 18 sports facilities, most of which are in the French capital, Paris.
Dhiban Al Muhairi, Secretary-General of the National Paralympic Committee and Director of the UAE Mission to Paris 2024, stressed the readiness of all players of our national teams to compete in the tournament, and they are driven by the ambition to achieve accomplishments worthy of the name of the UAE and to embody the great development and continuous care of Their Highnesses and the wise leadership for the sport of people of determination in the country.
He said: “The UAE sports delegation teams settled in the main Olympic Village in Paris, in addition to the athletes’ village in “Chateaus” designated for the shooting teams, and the organising committee was keen to provide all means of comfort for all sports delegations.”
He added: “The UAE mission players began their training on the designated training grounds and adapting to the atmosphere, and everything is going according to plan precisely.”
“All the players are happy to participate in such a major Paralympic event, and their presence in Paris among more than 4,400 male and female athletes gives them the incentive to achieve their ambition of reaching the podiums and embracing the medals, especially since this session is a harvest season for long work and effort that has continued for 4 to 8 years of perseverance and determination, and we have confidence in their ability to achieve that,” he explained.
The training of the UAE delegation players in the five games participating in the tournament continued, as Ahmed Mohammed Al Badawi, a player in the UAE cycling team in the (C5) category, began his training at the Polygon de Vincennes track, in preparation for the road races (individual time trial, individual all-around), and in the track races. This is Al Badawi’s first participation at the Paralympic level, and the second in the history of the UAE cycling sport after Ahmed Al Mutaiwee, who participated in “Tokyo 2020.”
Al-Badawi will begin his participation in “Paris 2024” on August 30 by competing in the 1000-meter time trial race in the road races.
Maryam Al Zeyoudi, a shot put and discus throw player on the UAE athletics team, continued her training at the Ile de Van Sports Complex in Paris, in preparation for the discus throw competitions on September 4 and the shot put competitions on September 7.
Al-Zaidi’s training is supervised by coach Ayman Ibrahim, who confirmed her readiness to compete and hopes to combine the World and Paralympic medals in one year, after winning the gold medal in the World Championship held in Japan.
He explained that Maryam Al-Zaidi’s preparation program was fully integrated and included participating in the World Championship finals in Paris last year, in addition to a group of external camps and international meetings, in addition to the World Championship in May 2024 in Japan, in which the player’s efforts were crowned with winning the gold medal.
He said: “We aspire for Al Zeyoudi to be the first Emirati athlete to win two medals, a world and a Paralympic, in one year, especially since the player has the desire, motivation and ability to achieve this accomplishment, and the last camp she underwent in Turkey, which lasted for 40 days, directly before participating in the Paralympic Games, was a motivator for her.”
France is preparing tomorrow, Sunday, to receive the Paralympic torch when it arrives on the French shores, specifically in Calais from Stoke Mandeville, after passing under the English Channel, where it is divided into 12 torches, touring all French regions over 3 days, before arriving in the capital, Paris, on the opening day, August 28, in preparation for lighting the torch of the Games.
The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games is scheduled to be held outside the stadiums for the first time, just as the Olympic Games were opened, as the opening parade will pass through the Champs-Élysées to the famous Place de la Concorde, with the participation of 5,000 athletes and officials, in addition to 140 participants with disabilities.
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