ISLAMABAD: Chairperson of Special Olympics Pakistan Ronak Lakhani on Tuesday praised the outstanding performance of the athletes of the special Olympics team for winning laurels for the country.

A ceremony was organised by Serena Hotels to honour the Pakistani squad that managed to gain historic win at the Special Olympics in Berlin, Germany, from June 17 to 25th. Ms Lakhani appreciated the hard work put into preparing for this auspicious event, saying it had paid off in such a massive scale of wins. She mentioned the efforts of unified partners and coaches and their role in making this spectacular win happen.

She also acknowledged the parents for their support in nurturing the athletes and thanked Serena Hotels for making tireless efforts to celebrate the athletes and bolster their self-confidence.

The said exceptional athletes secured 80 medals, including 11 gold, 29 silver, and 40 bronze in total. This achievement has brought pride to Pakistan and garnered admiration from all 176 participating countries.

Haseeb Abbasi, the Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger (SSIGM) Athlete Leader 2019-2023 Special Olympics Pakistan and eminent motivational speaker and winner of two gold medals for cycling in the 2013 Special Olympics Asia Pacific Regional games also spoke on the occasion and appreciated the medalists of 2023 Olympics.

Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday felicitated the members of Pakistan Special Olympics team on winning medals in the Special Olympics games in Berlin. Talking to the members of Pakistan’s Special Olympics Team who participated in Berlin Special Olympics, President Alvi and First Lady Begum Samina Alvi appreciated the Pakistan team on representing the country in the international event and promoting a bright image of the country.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2023