Dana Al Mansoori and Abdulla Al Diwani speak of their passion for gaming with professional stars at the global event in Abu Dhabi. The video can be accessed here.
Special Olympics athletes also attended the event at the Etihad Arena, watching the Grand Final between Faze Clan and Team Vitality.
Abu Dhabi: Two Special Olympics UAE athletes spoke about their passion for gaming with global esports professional stars at the recent BLAST Premier World Final 2023 in Abu Dhabi.
Dana Al Mansoori, 19-years-old, who represents the UAE’s football and cycling teams and has won more than 10 medals, and her team-mate Abdulla Al Diwani, aged 17, who counts cycling and basketball among his sports, where he has won over 30 medals, explained how gaming is having a positive impact on their lives during an engaging conversation that was broadcasted during the event at Etihad Arena.
Special Olympics UAE aims to empower People of Determination with intellectual and developmental disabilities through sports while providing them with leadership opportunities to help them display their talents and integrate them with the mainstream society.
Al Mansoori met Heroic star Peter ‘Dupreeh’ Rasmussen, a five-time Major champion at the Etihad Arena and shared her experience of what gaming means to her.
She said: “I come from a gaming family and everyone has played games at some point. Gaming for me is my therapy. I don’t even need to go to therapy as gaming is my therapy.”
For Al Diwani, he shared his joy of playing his favourite game with a conversation with Apex, of Team Vitality, the winning team that triumphed in this year’s BLAST Premier World Final. He said: “FIFA is my favourite game and it’s one I love because it’s a game that I can play by myself or with my friends.”
Al Mansoori, Al Diwani and other Special Olympics athletes also attended the last day of the BLAST Premier World Final where they were among the thousands of spectators to watch the Grand Final between Faze Clan and Team Vitality.
It was the second consecutive year that Special Olympics UAE attended the BLAST Premier World Final with the tournament in the UAE providing another opportunity to boost BLAST’s efforts to grow the ecosystem and unite people of all abilities through gaming. Statistics show there are an estimated 2.7 billion players worldwide with inclusivity in gaming rapidly gaining momentum.
Andrew Haworth, Programme Director of BLAST Premier World Final, said: “Gaming has the power to unite everyone of all abilities wherever you are in the world and the stories told by the Special Olympics athletes during their interaction with the best professional esports stars reflects this. It not only highlights the importance of inclusion through fostering social inclusion but also enhances their cognitive skills – all of which can have a positive impact on their lives.
“It was a pleasure to welcome the athletes back again for the BLAST Premier World Final and we witnessed both the players and the athletes inspiring each other after their meeting each other and sharing stories. We hope the Special Olympics athletes have been inspired by what they have seen on stage and in the Gaming Fan Zone which will further fuel their passion for gaming and esports.”
About BLAST:
We’re on a mission to take esports to the next level of global entertainment. We excite and invite billions of fans to join the esports revolution. We create live and digital experiences – from tournaments that pack out major arenas around the world to
great content that’s guaranteed to blow your socks off.
We work with some of the world’s best game publishers and brands to elevate their properties into amazing esports experiences – having delivered tournaments, content and shows in a variety of games, including: Counter-Strike, DOTA 2, VALORANT, Apex Legends, FIFA 2022 and Fortnite.
Over the last year, we’ve been working with Fortnite to develop industry leading, year-round, calendar of exciting and competitive esports events. Following last year’s FNCS All-Star Showdown and FNCS Grand Royale tournaments, we’re now operating the entire FNCS Chapter 3 broadcast schedule during each Fortnite Season for 2022.
BLAST Premier is a worldwide Counter-Strike tournament series where the best teams and biggest superstars fight it out for glory and a multi-million dollar prize pool. Famous for its unparalleled production quality and game changing fan-first moments. Attracting tens-of-thousands of fans to our crazy-big-adrenaline-pumped live events in big arenas from London and Copenhagen to Miami and Sao Paulo, with millions more watching at home on our broadcast tuning in from more than 154 territories and in 25 different languages.
About Special Olympics UAE:
In October 2017, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced Special Olympics UAE as an independent organization dedicated to changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Her Highness Sheikha Maryam Bint Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was appointed as the Honorary President, and Her Excellency Shamma Bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.
The organization aims to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through sports while providing them with leadership opportunities to help them display their talents and integrate them with the mainstream society.
Special Olympics UAE has launched a variety of community programs, including those focused on families and young athletes. It has also introduced a number of initiatives to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to create a more inclusive society.
