Katowice: The UAE Special Olympics women’s team clinched the gold medal and World Cup title in Unified Volleyball after defeating Ukraine 2-0 in the final today.
According to Emirates News Agency, the championship, hosted in Katowice, Poland, from 5th to 8th October, featured 16 teams representing Special Olympics programmes from around the world. The UAE team competed in Group C alongside Italy, Namibia, and India.
They opened their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Italy, followed by another straight-sets win against Namibia, before losing narrowly to India 1-2. The team advanced to the final stage after defeating Kenya 2-0.
Talal Al Hashemi, National Director of Special Olympics UAE, praised the players’ performance, noting that the achievement reflects the success of investing in female athletes of determination. He added that it also underscores the UAE’s ongoing commitment to women’s empowerment across sports and humanitarian fields.