Team Saudi is taking part in the 17th edition of the Summer Paralympic Games.
The 2024 Summer Paralympic Games will take place in Paris over twelve days from August 28 to September 8, will highlight the extraordinary athleticism of highly trained athletes with diverse disabilities, across twenty-two different sports and sporting events.
Team Saudi
Nine Paralympian athletes will represent Saudi Arabia at the Summer Paralympic Games at the end of the month.
Participating in a number of different sports, from athletics events to equestrian; Team Saudi will be represented by Abdulrahman Al-Qurashi in the 100m and 400m wheelchair races, Hassan Doshi in the long jump, Nour Al-Sinaa in the 100m race, Sara Al-Jumah in shot put, and Ali Al-Nakhli in both the 100m and 200m races. Additionally, Adnan Saeed will compete in powerlifting, Eyad Al-Treik in taekwondo, Ghalia Al-Anzi in table tennis, and equestrian rider Ahmed Al-Sharbatly in dressage.
This year's Saudi delegation will the largest Saudi contingent in terms of sports represented in the history of the Kingdom's participation in the Paralympic Games.
Saudi's History with the Paralympics
Since 1996, Saudi have sent more than 30 athletes to the Summer Paralympic Games to represent the nation. And these athletes have been rewarded with 5 Summer Paralympic medals: 1 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze.
The Kingdom first participated in the Summer Paralympic Games in Atlanta 1996 with 2 athletes. And the nation consistently showed up in the following games with 4 athletes in Sydney 2000, 7 athletes in Athens 2004 and 3 athletes at the Summer Paralympic Games in 2008. It was at these games in Beijing where Osama Al-Shanqeeti won a gold medal in the triple jump and a silver in the high jump.
The medals continued in London in 2012, where 4 athletes represented Saudi, and Hani Al-Nakhli took home a silver medal in the discus throw. Al-Nahkhli performed again four years later at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Paralympics also won a bronze medal in shot put at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Paralympics, which featured 3 Saudi athletes.
The Kingdom then sent 7 athletes to the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympics, where Abdulrahman Al-Qurashi won a bronze medal in the 100m wheelchair race in athletics.
Support and Pride of the Nation
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for their unwavering support of the Kingdom's sports sector.
His Highness stated, "Sports for people with disabilities receive special attention in the Kingdom. In this regard, I extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for his generous and unlimited support, which has elevated the sports sector in the Kingdom to its current level."
It is with this continued support and pride in Saudi athletes that Team Saudi will compete in five sporting events at the 2024 edition of the Summer Paralympic Games.
What are the Paralympic Games?
There are currently 28 Paralympic sports sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC): 22 summer sports and six winter sports.
The Paralympic Games, often referred to as the Paralympics, are a major international sporting event for athletes with disabilities. The Paralympics take place every four years in conjunction with the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, and the Paralympics aims to showcase and champion the extraordinary athleticism and determination of individuals who overcome physical and sensory impairments.
The Summer Paralympic Games are held every four years, in conjunction with the Summer Olympic Games. The Summer Paralympic Games showcase a number of individual sports such as swimming, weightlifting and horse-riding, alongside a number of track and field events. Adapted for athletes with physical, visual and intellectual impairments, there is also a selection of competitive team sports such as wheelchair basketball and
Similarly, every four years the Winter Paralympic Games are held in the winter months following the summer games, these games feature a range of thrilling winter sports, including alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and wheelchair curling.
Summer Paralympic Games 2024,
From August 28 - September 8
Paris, France
