Dubai: Nearly 400 athletes from 42 countries are expected to start at the Ninth Fazza Para-Athletics Championships Dubai 2017 World Para Athletics Grand Prix that will be held at the Dubai Club for the Disabled (DCD) from March 20-23.
The 2017 World Para Athletics Grand Prix consists of nine rounds and will open with the Ninth Fazza Para-Athletics next week and conclude with the Berlin Open Grand Prix in Germany from June 17-18.
The nine rounds of the World Para Athletics Grand Prix will act as a build-up for the World Para Athletics Championships which are scheduled to run at the London Stadium at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from July 14-23.
The UAE will be represented by a 24-member squad, including 2016 Rio Olympians Siham Al Rashidi and Abbad Khalid who will be participating in the F57 and F37 categories in Dubai next week. Both have already qualified for the World Para Athletics Championships to be held in London. Al Rashidi is the holder of the Asian record (25.68 mts) in the discus throw and is currently ranked sixth in the world.
“I want to reach my best in my event. I have been training hard for this competition and hopefully I will be among the medallists,” Al Rashidi told media.
“As hosts of this event, we want to act as ambassadors for our nation. We want to show the visiting athletes our culture, traditions and heritage. And at the same time we will target a much better performance at the World Championships in London,” added the mother of a nine-year-old son.
Khalid too has listed London as his destination this season. “The bigger picture is a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics,” said the 23-year-old discus and shot=putt thrower.
“Our club [Dubai Club for the Disabled] and country have been very supportive and they have laid out a preparation programme for us all. On our part, we are very willing to work hard and reach our goal. And the Dubai Grand Prix will be the start of this journey,” he added.
Thani Juma Berregad, Chairman of DCD was pleased with the increasing interest from across the globe for the annual Fazza Championships. Held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the competition will commence from 4pm on March 20 at the new state-of-the-art stadium built on the DCD premises.
The three-day competition is being sponsored by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare (GAYSW), DSC, Dubai Sports Channel and UAE Paralympic Committee.
