KUWAIT CITY, Aug 20, (KUNA): Mansour Al-Sarheed, Head of the Kuwait Paralympic Committee, announced on Tuesday that Kuwait is set to compete in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games with a delegation of three athletes.

The Kuwaiti team includes Faisal Al-Rajhi, Faisal Sorour, and Dhari Al-Butti, who will be competing in various track and field events. In a statement to KUNA, Al-Sarheed detailed that Al-Rajhi will participate in wheelchair racing in the T54 category, Sorour in the Shot Put in the F42 category, and Al-Butti in the Shot Put in the F37 category.

Al-Sarheed highlighted that the committee has meticulously prepared these athletes, who qualified for the Games through outstanding performances in international and regional championships. He added that the goal is to achieve the best possible results and proudly raise Kuwait's flag at one of the largest multi-sport events in the world.

He also mentioned that Sorour and Al-Butti are currently undergoing intensive training in Turkiye under the guidance of Coach Ahmad Harbi, while Al-Rajhi is training in Sharjah, UAE, under Coach Nizar Ramadan.

Athlete Faisal Sorour expressed confidence in his and his teammates' readiness to secure top positions and reach the podium, attributing their preparedness to the excellent training camps they have attended both locally and abroad. Sorour, who earned a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, is determined to win another medal for Kuwait in Paris.

Nizar Ramadan, Kuwait's coach for wheelchair racing, affirmed that Al-Rajhi is training intensively, with two daily sessions, showing great enthusiasm to win a Paralympic medal. Ramadan noted that Sharjah was selected for the training camp due to its excellent facilities, which have significantly enhanced Al-Rajhi’s performance. He remains optimistic that the Kuwaiti team will secure several medals despite the tough competition.

Kuwait first participated in the Paralympics in 1980 and has since earned a total of 52 medals: 12 gold, 18 silver, and 22 bronze. This year, the Kuwaiti delegation hopes to add to this tally at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, which will take place from August 28 to September 8 and feature 23 different sports events.

The Paralympic Games, organized by the International Paralympic Committee, are held every four years following the Olympic Games in the same host city. They feature athletes with physical disabilities, including muscle weakness, limb deficiency, paralysis, leg length difference, short stature, and visual impairment.