Every four years the Summer Olympics extravaganza comes, captivates all our attention and then goes leaving behind many remarkable memories and world records.
But with each summer Olympics comes its lesser known cousin, the Summer Paralympics that follows soon after. The upcoming Paralympics in Rio is due to run from the 7th to the 18th of September. Saudi Arabia has been participating in each edition of the games unfailingly right from the 1996 Atlanta games. Here are the country’s winners from the Paralympics.
Osamah Al-Shanqiti
Gold (Triple Jump F12)
2008 – Beijing
Silver (Long Jump F12)
2008 – Beijing
Born in the Holy City of Madinah, Al-Shanqiti trained at the Al Ansar Club in his home town. His visual impairment didn’t stop him from competing in sports and he went on to represent Saudi Arabia in numerous sporting events. He had a successful outing in 2008 edition of the Paralympics which saw him winning a gold and silver medal for the country; the very first for Saudi Arabia at the Paralympics. In 2012 at London, he took part again in the triple jump in the F12 category but fell short of a medal and finished fifth.
Hani Al-Nakhli
Silver (Discus F32–34)
2012 – London
Affected by cerebral palsy since his early childhood days, not many could have expected that this boy would go on to set records in the future. His perseverance, training and serious discipline brought him to the world stage at the London Paralympics. In the discus throw event F32-34 he clinched the silver medal, by heaving the discus a distance of 34.65 meters. Here’s wishing the country some more medals in the upcoming Paralympics. In the discus throw event F32-34 he clinched the silver medal, by heaving the discus a distance of 34.65 meters.
Here’s wishing the country some more medals in the upcoming Paralympics in Rio.
