Special Olympics Malta swimmer, Maria James, training ahead of the Special Olympics Malta Invitational Games 2022 (13 – 18 May).
“Let’s get back in the field and show everyone that we are still here, and nothing will stop us. We athletes are the real messengers of peace, unity, and love.” – Special Olympics Malta swimmer, Sam Micallef, shares this powerful message ahead of the Special Olympics Malta Invitational Games 2022, a multisport competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
Involving 23 delegations from across Europe and beyond, these Games are the first international Special Olympics event in Europe since the breakout of the Covid-19 pandemic. From 13 to 18 May, Special Olympics Malta will welcome athletes to compete in six different sports disciplines: aquatics, athletics, bocce, bowling, football, and table tennis.
“Malta wants to reaffirm itself as a trailblazer of inclusion. Individuals with intellectual disabilities were disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the forthcoming ‘Special Olympics Malta Invitational Games 2022’ will be a great opportunity for all of our athletes,” commented Anna Calleja, National Director for Special Olympics Malta. “With the financial and technical support of the Maltese public authorities, we’ve come a long way to put together what we hope would be memorable games that will place Malta as the natural home for disability inclusion and ready to usher in a new era of true social inclusion in Europe and beyond.”
Organised in partnership with the Government of Malta and Sports Malta, the Invitational Games will offer Special Olympics athletes the chance to meet with their international competitors for the first time in almost two years.
“I joined Special Olympics when I was only 10 years old, and it’s been seven beautiful years!” shares 17-year-old athlete Sam Micallef. “I am looking forward to meeting my friends from other countries, enjoying the competition and showing all the citizens in Malta who we are and what we are able to do.”
Special Olympics Malta athlete, Johnathan Camilleri, cheering while training for the Special Olympics Malta Invitational Games.
Outside of the sports arena, the event will also offer free Healthy Athletes health screenings covering Fun Fitness, Special Smiles and Fit Feet. These screenings allow Special Olympics athletes to check in with healthcare professionals who have received training for treating people with intellectual abilities and they are carried out in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.
The Special Olympics Malta Invitational Games will also showcase the activities of the Special Olympics Motor Activity Training Programme and Young Athletes. While the latter focuses on those athletes still too young to participate in the regular competitions, the former is designed to prepare athletes with severe or profound intellectual disabilities and significant physical disabilities for sport-specific activities appropriate for their ability levels.
“We’re looking forward to providing a platform for all athletes to showcase their abilities, resilience, and perseverance,” continued National Director Anna Calleja. “We’re excited to see athletes that are used to setbacks, demonstrate their extraordinary abilities and show everyone how a human can become even stronger through the adversity of everyday life. Athletes will provide real-life lessons on the real meaning of respect, love, and friendship in a very warm, peaceful, and inclusive environment.”
The Special Olympics Malta Invitational Games will also address inclusion and the situation for people with disabilities on an academic level. On 13 and 14 May, Special Olympics will host a University Forum – in which professors, students and experts will discuss the most pressing issues people with intellectual disabilities face in sport and in the educational system.
Speaking about the upcoming Games, David Evangelista, President and Managing of Special Olympics Europe Eurasia, noted, ”These Games will celebrate the human spirit and human dignity—celebrating the ideas of Europe: unity, inclusion, and solidarity. COVID-19 has been such a disrupting element around the world, but that we are now ready to usher in a new era of inclusion in Malta, in Europe and beyond with these Games.”
