Special Olympics Municipal Athletics Championship is awaiting 100 athletes with intellectual disabilities at the starting line

The Special Olympics Foundation from Romania organizes the Special Olympics Municipal Athletics Championship, on Thursday, 3rd of October 2019, at 12.00, on the 'Iolanda Balaş Soter' stadium in Bucharest.

The championship is addressed to people with intellectual disabilities from special schools, inclusive schools, associations and non-governmental organizations in Bucharest.

The competitions that the athletes will take part in are running 50 or 100 meters.

The event is organized under the slogan 'Year of Tolerance', as a reference to the biggest sporting event of the year dedicated to people with intellectual disabilities around the world - the Special Olympics World Games that took place in Abu Dhabi in March 2019.

The partner and financier of the Special Olympics Municipal Athletics Championships is the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, the country that hosted the Special Olympics World Games in March 2019.

About the Year of Tolerance: His Highness, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has proclaimed 2019 to be the 'Year of Tolerance' in the UAE. The United Arab Emirates has become the global capital of tolerance, promoting through its legislation and policies the values of tolerance, dialogue, coexistence and openness to different cultures, especially among young people.

The 'Year of Tolerance' is the approach taken by the UAE since its foundation, to be a bridge of communication between people around the world with different cultures, in an environment of openness and respect that rejects extremism and promotes coexistence.

The Ghaf tree was chosen as a symbol of the Year of Tolerance due to its significance as a native tree.

It is a symbol of desert stability and a witness to ancient customs.

About Special Olympics Romania: Special Olympics is a global movement that capitalizes on human potential through the transformative power of sport. Special Olympics helps people with intellectual disabilities to be accepted and involved as active members of the communities they belong to, to create a society that is respected and inclusive for all of us.

Using sport as a catalyst, along with health and education side programs, Special Olympics fights against passivity, injustice and intolerance.

In Romania, since 2003, Special Olympics has helped, so far, over 27,000 children, young people and adults with intellectual disabilities to be active citizens of the community.

Information and photos about Special Olympics Romania are available on the official website (www.specialolympics.ro), Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/specialolympicsromania/) and Instagram https://www.instagram.com / specialolympicsromania /.

For details about the event you can contact: Special Olympics Romania Foundation, Oana Grecea, Communication Coordinator: o.grecea@specialolympics.ro.