KUWAIT CITY, Jan 15: The Kuwait Special Olympics organized a health screening program for athletes with intellectual disabilities at the Boulevard Complex, reports Al-Rai daily. The program included conducting a comprehensive oral and dental health, eye and hearing health, and mental health examination on 150 male and female players representing the schools, institutions and associations concerned, as well as the players of the Al-Tamouh Sports Club, with the participation of a group of consultants and specialists from various medical centers.

The opening ceremony of the program was held in the presence of the President of Kuwait Disabled Sports Club Sheikha Sheikha Al- Abdullah, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Commercial Real Estate Company Abdul- Fattah Marafie, Executive Director of the company Eng. Abdul-Mutalib Marafie, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Salmiya Group for Enterprise Development Adwan Al- Adwani, Sheikha Suhaila Al-Sabah, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Special Olympics Hana Al-Zawawi and its members, chairman and members of the Board of Directors of the Al-Tamouh Sports Club, and offi- cials of health programs Dr. Nadia Abel, Dr. Yousef Al-Awadhi, Dr. Abdulwahab Mohamed and Dr. Slowly Arnous.

Hana Al-Zawawi said the implementation of this program comes within the framework of translating the health plan of the Special Olympics, which includes eight health programs that deal with everything related to the physical, psychological and mental health of the players. She stressed the importance of the program in supporting the capabilities of the players and preparing them to compete in the global games that will be held in Berlin in June 2023, in which the Kuwait Special Olympics will participate. Al-Zawawi added that the Kuwait Special Olympics intends to expand the number of examination clinics in the upcoming editions to include all specialties in the health program of the International Olympics. In addition, the National Director of the Kuwaiti Special Olympics Rehab Bouresli affirmed that the program aimed to determine the health and physical competence of the players to give them a healthy lifestyle that qualifies them to practice their sports with high efficiency, and to present their best in sports benefits locally and abroad. She explained that a health passport was issued for each player, which included his submission to an examination and a statement of his health status.

The players’ examination program is one of the elements of the health program of the Special Olympics, which also includes a forum for families, communities and for the promotion of physical fitness, in addition to a program for qualifying specialists among doctors, nurses and volunteers in the areas of the health program.