'Winter Games': Working to Involve Youth with Disabilities in Outdoor Snow Sports Competitions

Fahid Al-Ajmi, president of the Kuwait Winter Sports Club, said the club is currently working to involve athletes with disabilities in snow and ice sports competitions to represent Kuwait in external events dedicated to para-sports.

Al-Ajmi told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Monday that the club will launch this initiative by forming a Kuwaiti ice hockey team, with plans to include other athletes from this valued group in additional winter sports overseen by the club, such as ice skating, curling, and speed skating.

He explained that the club has already begun holding intensive meetings with several schools that enroll students with disabilities to identify players interested in participating in these sports, train them in the fundamentals and techniques, and urged anyone interested in this experience to contact the club’s management.

He noted that the club aims to prepare 20 ice hockey players in the first phase for participation in the 9th Asian Winter Games, to be hosted by Almaty, Kazakhstan, in winter 2029, with subsequent participation in future events to follow.

Al-Ajmi stated that the club will hire a specialized technical staff to train the athletes at the club’s ice rink in the Bayan area, and will provide the necessary equipment for the sport, hoping that more Kuwaiti youth with disabilities will join this initiative and benefit from the facilities available for practicing winter sports.

He emphasized the club’s commitment to launching this initiative to provide opportunities for youth with disabilities, encourage them to spend their leisure time engaging in sports, and showcase their abilities, considering it the club’s duty to support Kuwaiti youth in pursuing winter sports.