Monrovia – Liberia’s three representatives at the ongoing 2019 Special Olympics World Game in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, have all won gold medals.
Report by Macaulay Sombai, sombai.macaulaysombai@FrontPageAfricaonline.com 00231777217428
Samuel Smith on Tuesday, March 19, won a third gold medal for Liberia. 21-year-old Samuel Smith clocked 16.82 seconds to finish as first place winner in the 100-meter adults category against Joseph Howe, age 25, of Marshall Islands, a sprawling chain of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and the Philippines. Iraham Ahmed, 26, of Comoros Islands, and Mohsen Mohammed, 29, of Yemen.
Ehiabom Assaf, also of Liberia, won gold in the 200-m race on Sunday, March 17.
Athlete Ehiabom Salim Assaf won Bronze in his second race in the 100-meter category.
The Bronze medal is Assaf’s second medal and Liberia’s fourth medal in this year’s Special Olympic Games.
Assaf finished ahead of Silver medalist Darius Branden, 16, of Antigua & Barbuda, an independent Commonwealth country comprising its 2 namesake islands, who finished within 29.14 seconds and Bronze medalist Dinguemnatal Nonkilao (20 yrs) of Chad, who finished within 31.05 seconds.
Over half a million people including athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and delegates from over 194 countries are currently in Abu Dhabi, UAE for the world’s sporting event.
The National Program
Director of Special Olympics Liberia (SOL), who is in the UAE with the athletes,
said the three athletes described their achievements against their opponents in
the Olympics as historic not only for themselves but also for their parents and
their country.
The Special Olympics games is a multi-sport event staged annually for athletes
with intellectual disabilities.
Liberia’s participation at this year’s Special Olympics Games was supported by
the Government of Liberia, through the Youth and Sports Ministry, who’s Deputy
Minister for Sports, G. Andy Quamie, is representing the government at the
games.
The United Kingdom leads the medal table with 43 goal medals, 37 silver and 22
bronze medals.
Host, UAE has begged 39 gold medals, 30 silvers and 36 bronzes.
About 7,000 athletes are participating at this year’s World Games.
Meanwhile, President George Manneh Weah took time
off his visit to the UAE to meet with the Liberian gold medalists. He congratulated
all of them for their exploit and what they had done for their country.
