This ceremony, attended by Wali of the Marrakech-Safi region, governor of the Marrakech prefecture, Farid Chourak, President of MENA Special Olympics, Egyptian Aymane Abdelouahab, representatives of various partner government departments, sponsors and partners, as well as sports personalities, notably former footballer Abdelaziz Bouderbala, former Olympic champion Nezha Bedouane, figures from local sports and civil and military personalities, was marked by a parade of participating teams representing associations and educational centers affiliated with SOM, in addition to the presentation of the different events and competitions.
This 11th edition, held every two years, brings together around 1,500 athletes (men and women) and coaches representing several associations active in the field of sport for athletes with mental disabilities.
On this occasion, Advisor to the Chairwoman of Special Olympics Morocco, Nezha Bedouane, underlined that since its creation by late Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Amina, SOM has experienced a significant evolution of its system, noting that it is a national institution that takes care of children with mental disabilities.
In a statement to MAP, she explained that these children have always shown a great sense of responsibility and awareness of the importance of the sporting activities that they practice both in Morocco or abroad.
For his part, Abdelouahab said, in a similar statement, that the Kingdom is experiencing significant development in all sporting fields, expressing his admiration for this exceptional opening ceremony, which started to the sound of the National Anthem and was marked by the presentation of participating associations, as well as musical and artistic shows offered by the famous group “Fnair” and volunteers from different African countries.
National director of Special Olympics Morocco, Nassim Cherradi, noted that this edition brings together more than 44 associations from different regions of the Kingdom, who will compete in 12 events, in addition to the “Healthy Athletes” program and the school program aimed at promoting interaction and meetings between Special Olympics champions and students from educational institutions.
He added that in parallel with the competitions, the “Healthy Athletes” event will be held at the Charifa hospital in Marrakech. It will offer medical screenings in seven different specialties, such as ophthalmology, nutrition, ENT, psychiatry, dental health, general medicine and physiotherapy.
This edition will feature a “Health Messengers” conference aimed at sharing the experiences of sports leaders, in addition to the “Family Health” forum which will bring together members of athletes’ families to discuss their children’s journeys and the importance of sport in their education and development, as well as the “Unified Champion Schools” event aimed at promoting educational inclusion.
