Maltese athletes to compete at Special Olympics World Games

A group of Maltese athletes will be competing at the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi later on this month.

The athletes, who are trained by Special Olympics Malta, together with their head of delegation Anna Calleja, arrived in Dubai on Tuesday on their way to the games.  

Special Olympics Malta trains athletes with various disabilities in a number of Olympic sports including athletics, bowling, football, gymnastics, triathlon and table tennis.

Malta will be competing in a number of disciplines including athletics and triathlon.

Speaking to MaltaToday, Calleja said that all athletes had gone through a intensive training programme, under the guidance of a gym instructor and a personal trainer.

The coaching staff for each discipline ensured that each athlete had had a full training session, as well as advice from a professional dietician to help guide their preparation for the competition.   

Calleja said that Malta Special Olympic’s roles went beyond just training in sports and physical activities.

“Special Olympics doesn’t only provide training in sports and physical activities, but it also has other health programs,” Calleja said.  

“All our athletes are screened in different health programs. Special Olympics Malta has qualified medical professionals that work together and screen all the athletes, once a year.”

She added that the organisation welcomed everyone, irrespective of their age or disability.

The last few months have been particularly busy for the organisation’s athletes.  One group, competing in swimming and athletics competitions, travelled to Italy while a football team was in San Marino to compete in the Small Nations football tournament.

The football team obtained a relatively good result, placing fourth.