JEDDAH, 6 April 2007 — With the participation of 20 autism centers from around the Kingdom, the two-day Second Autism Championship for the Gulf Cooperation Council states ended yesterday at the Kingdom Schools in Riyadh.
The championship ran under the support of Prince Sattam, deputy governor of Riyadh. The first championship was hosted in the UAE last year.
In all 89 athletes participated in swimming, basketball and running events, according to an official of the Saudi Sport Federation for Special Needs.
The federation is offering its utmost services to this group, he said, “and what the Saudi National Football Team with Special Needs delivered to the Kingdom when they won the 4th Football World Cup for People with Disabilities in Leverkusen, Germany, in Sep. 2006 was due to this.”
Saudi Autistic Charity Society organized the event with cooperation from the Saudi Sport Federation for Special Needs. Prince Turki ibn Nasser, the head of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment and chairman of the Saudi Autistic Charity Society, attended the opening ceremony with Prince Nawwaf ibn Faisal, deputy president of Saudi Youth Welfare, and Gen. Duaij ibn Khalifa Al-Khalifa, chairman of the GCC Association for the Disabled.
General Supervisor at Kingdom Schools, Hamad Al-Buadi, said this championship is a proof of the support Saudi officials give to the group especially that many of those who suffer from autism are highly intelligent and have shown creativity in subjects such as math, nature and various forms of art.
Prince Nawwaf said the championship enables autistic people to share their happiness and show their talents when competing in sports with their peers.
A documentary on autism was screened during the opening ceremony.
