Off the wire
• British industrial output falls by 0.4 pct in June  • Cheaper funding lures Chinese developers back to domestic bond market  • Jazz's Exum reportedly tears ACL  • Bangladesh PM concerned over Saudi suicide bomb attack  • Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Aug. 6  • Central Chinese city raises 1 bln yuan for affordable housing  • Asian experience beneficial to world's peaceful development: Chinese FM  • 2015 Stankovic Cup fixtures  • PSG officially announces Di Maria's signing  • Indonesia to sink 70 illegal fishing boats  
You are here: 　 Home

Lebanon to host Special Olympics Winter Regional Games

Xinhua, August 6, 2015 Adjust font size:

Lebanon will host the Special Olympics Winter Regional Games for the first time between January 30 and February 5, 2016, which will include participants from the Middle East and North Africa countries, the United Nations (UN) said Thursday in a statement.

According to the statement, the UN Information Center in Beirut (UNIC-Beirut) launched a one-year partnership with the Special Olympics Lebanon Union that aims at "promoting awareness on and mobilizing support for people with intellectual disabilities through sports to help integrate them in society and develop their skills".

It added that "the partnership goes hand in hand with UN objectives and messages on sports for peace and development, and will materialize in organizing the Winter Regional Games".

The Games features Alpine skiing, snowshoeing, cross country and floor hockey.

The partnership also includes the organization of other sports activities throughout the year, such as training sessions for youngsters in various kinds of sports, basketball, football, tennis, table tennis and swimming competitions.

The Special Olympics is a global movement that uses sports to integrate people with intellectual disabilities into their communities and provides them with continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate Special Olympics courage. Endi