The second Paralympic Games for the Homeland Wounded (Jareeh Watan) kicks off in Damascus

Damascus, (ST) – The activities of the Homeland Wounded Paralympic Games kicked off yesterday in Al-Jalaa Sports City in Damascus. There was  a large number of injured athletes from all provinces participating in the various games.

The first session of the tournament was held last year in the Sports City in Latakia, with the participation of 100 totally disabled athletes, who competed in basketball, badminton, swimming, weightlifting, athletics and physical strength.

The participants in the second Paralympic Games Homeland Wounded (Jareeh Watan) began their competitions aspiring to achieve victories, as they achieved on the field in order to defend the soil of the homeland.

The games course, which opened yesterday during a ceremony held at Al-Jalaa Sports Hall in Damascus witnessed wide participation from various injured segments along with the  war-wounded from Iraq, competing among themselves in swimming, physical strength, athletics, badminton, table tennis and basketball.

The opening ceremony included shows that embodied the meaning of the sacrifice made by our brave Syrian army to raise the status of the country. In addition there was a short presentation that reviewed the ability of the wounded, enabling them to practice their normal lives perfectly despite the injury. The participating teams  paraded whilst taking the  sports oath.

In a statement to reporters, General Mahmoud Abdel-Wahab Al-Shawa, Deputy Defense Minister, drew attention to the wide participation in the second session of the course, which amounted to 123 participants, along with war-wounded from the State of Iraq and 9 athletes from the Special Sports Federation. He indicated that this course was well prepared, and the participants were selected in accordance to the approved standards and classifications for special sports.

The Head of the General Sports Federation, Firas Mualla, referred to the distinguished partnership that unites the Federation with the Homeland Wounded (Jareeh Watan), which aims to serve this category of society in appreciation of the sacrifices made by the wounded of the homeland in order to defend their land.

Raghda Sawas