Athletics Paralympic champion Faisal Al-Sorour celebrates with the Kuwaiti flag.

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 27, (KUNA):  Since its debut at the 1980 Paralympic Games, the Kuwait Disabled Sports Club has achieved remarkable success, accumulating a total of 52 medals across various competitions. The club’s journey began at the Arnhem 1980 Paralympics in the Netherlands, where it won two gold, two silver, and one bronze medal. Their success continued at the 1984 Paralympics in Stoke Mandeville, England, with a total of eight medals: one gold, three silver, and four bronze.

The 1988 Seoul Paralympics marked a high point with Kuwait winning 17 medals, including five gold, five silver, and seven bronze. At the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics, the team added one gold, three silver, and one bronze to its tally. In the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, Kuwait earned three medals and followed up with five medals in Sydney 2000 and six in Athens 2004. However, the team did not secure medals in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Redemption came at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics with one gold medal, and in Tokyo 2020, it won one silver and one bronze. Overall, the club has won 12 gold, 18 silver, and 22 bronze medals.

Looking ahead, the Kuwait Disabled Sports Club is preparing for the Paris 2024 Paralympics, scheduled from August 28 to September 8. The team will feature three athletes in track and field events, who have been training in camps in Turkey and the UAE. Mansour Al-Sarhid, Chairman of the Paralympic Committee and Head of the Kuwait delegation, stated, “We aim to continue the journey for Kuwait’s Paralympic champions through our administrative and technical efforts.” He emphasized the team’s strong potential, supported by local sports authorities like the Youth Public Authority and the Public Authority for Sport.

Faisal Al-Sorour expressed his determination to set a high record and build on his previous successes, including a bronze medal from Tokyo 2020. He is focused on achieving an advanced position and making his country proud. Ahmad Al-Mutairi, another prominent athlete, praised the Kuwait Disabled Sports Club and its staff for their support, which has enabled him to secure two medals in wheelchair racing—one gold at Rio 2016 and one silver at Tokyo 2020. He also holds three global medals from events in Doha 2015, London 2017, and Dubai 2019, along with three world records in wheelchair racing.

Al-Mutairi commended Kuwaiti athletes and the official bodies for their support, which has helped them excel in international competitions. The Paralympic Games cater to athletes with various disabilities. In addition to the Paralympics, the Special Olympics Global Games provide opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities. The Special Olympics Kuwait team has also achieved success, winning 21 medals—seven gold, 10 silver, and four bronze—against a field of 7,000 athletes worldwide.