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| The delegation from Special Olympic Iraq are greeted as they arrived at Belfast International Airport for the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games. Mohammad Kheir Allah Hani, center, is flanked by (left) teammate Adil Abbas and Bobby McKee, Mayor of Larne, the host town for Special Olympics Iraq. [Photo by Brendan Murphy] |
By Abdrahman Ali and Salah Hamed *
Tales of overcoming hardship abound at the World Games and the story of Mohammad Kheir Allah Hani is one of those.
20-year-old Hani hails from a country emerging from a recent war. Yet despite the life-threatening situations he and his family have faced in recent months, his self-confidence, determination and pride at serving as a representative of the Iraqi athletics team is admirable.
In an interview with us, the Special Olympics Global Youth Summit delegation from Egypt, Hani’s spirit and drive to achieve appeared brighter than ever. Excerpts from our conversation with him follow.
“I am an athlete from Special Olympics Iraq. I have two sisters and five brothers and I live with my father. He works for our public transportation system back home. I have participated in Special Olympics for three years, and have won two gold and one bronze medal in the Middle East/North Africa regional games,” Hani said.
“While I like to play football, athletics is definitely the sport I like best.”
“I live on my own back home. When my dad offers me money, I don’t like taking it. I want to be as independent as I can be so I work in a clothing shop as a tailor.”
Hani won a bronze medal in the 100 meter run and participated in the 200 meter run (placed 6th) and the long jump as well.
* Ali and Hamed were two of the 38 participants in the 2nd Special Olympics Global Youth Summit reported on the activities at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland. After taking part in a "Journalism and Photojournalism 101” session in which they received reporting tips from seasoned journalists, the participants fanned out into the World Games' 22 venues to interview athletes, coaches, families and volunteers. Their stories were published in the SO Get Into It Gazette.
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