In a major fillip to the Paralympic movement in Asia, the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai has been granted the hosting rights of 2019 World Para Athletics Championships from November 7 to 15 next year.
The ninth edition of the championships will be also the first to take place in the UAE, the World Para Athletics announced.
The last World Para Athletics championships were held in London with more than 1,150 athletes from 90 countries competing at the London Stadium, venue of the 2012 Paralympic Games.
This year, the championships will take place at the new athletics stadium of the Dubai Club for People of Determination and will be run under the patronage of Crown Prince of Dubai, HH Sheikh Hamdane Almaktoum.
More than 1,300 athletes from more than 100 countries are expected to take part in the competition.
The World Championships will not only be the pinnacle of the Para athletics season in 2019 but will also act as the last major opportunity for athletes to gain slots for their National Paralympic Committees for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Said International Paralympic Committee Summer Sports Director Ryan Montgomery said: “We are very honoured to announce Dubai as the host city of the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships. It is great to have the event back in Asia less than one year before the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Dubai and the UAE have been very important partners of the Paralympic Movement for a long time and we have full confidence that Dubai will exceed our expectations.”
Mr Majid Rashed, CEO of the Dubai Club for People of Determination and Asian Paralympic Committee president said: “We are honoured to be trusted with such a prestigious event within the world of Para sport and are looking forward to welcoming the world to Dubai. As a club and as emirate, we have a long tradition within our organisation of delivering world class sporting events.”
IPC Governing Board member and UAE NPC President Mohammed Al Hameli added: “It is an amazing opportunity to showcase the development of Para sports in Dubai and in our country. The participating nations and their athletes will find world class facilities to be able to perform at their best.”