After winning 2 golden and 2 silver medals:Athletes at Special Olympics bring pride to Yemen [Archives:2003/647/Local News]

The Yemeni team returning from Dublin, Ireland, where the Special Olympics 2003 were held last week, can hold their heads high. The athletes participating in the Olympics, which aims at showing the athletic skills courage and dignity of 7,000 athletes with a learning disability from around the world, garnered a tally of two gold and two silver medals from the event. On Thursday, Ms. Ahlam Mutaher won gold in the 100m run, to the delight of her team-mates, this being the first ever medal awarded to a Yemeni participant. This success was built upon the next day as Mr Aiman Haggar sprinted to victory in the 100m run to win gold, and later claimed second place in the men's shot-put final. On Saturday, the final day of the event, Mr. Suheel Almaari staked his claim to silver in the men's 200m run to end a memorable week for the special athletes.
All the participants are from the Iman Rehabilitation School in Sana'a. Given the successful outcome of their participation, both in terms of sporting achievement and cultural exchange, it is hoped this worthwhile experience will be repeated in China and Japan who will host the games in 2007.
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