Preparations are almost complete for the 2010 games.

The participants will compete in four games of (athletics, Soccer, Botchy and the table tennis.) The competitions will be held at the al-Muraisi Hall's track stadium, the General Tennis Association Hall, the Faculty of Physical Education's hall and the Olympic Center.

"This is the biggest tournament in the history of the Yemeni special Olympics in terms of the number of participating governorates and players that represent these governorates. It is also witnessing the participation of a large number of coaches and volunteers. The number of participants is increased beyond the planned number in response to the desire of the Special Olympics branches in these Governorates so as increase the scope of participation," said the National Special Olympics General Manager, Abdulsatar al-Hamdani.

Al-Hamdani added that the preparation for this national Special Olympics tournament started earlier through the field visits to relevant the governorates in order to discuss the preparations with the branches in these governorates.

Seventy percent of the preparations are finished. They consist of the committees of referees, secretariats, the opening ceremony, the accommodation, the reception and the committee of communication with the volunteers to participate in the national games, al-Hamdani added. Al-Hamdani lauded the ministry's support represented by the Youth Minister Hamoud Mohammed Obad and his Vice Minister Hashed Abdullah Bin Hussein al-Ahmar who gave special distinctive attention to the Special Olympics, through the allocation of a large portion of the tournament's budget from the 2010 Olympics apportions. They also offered to pay sports allowances to the participating players as an encouragement to these Special Olympics players.

Al-Hamdani also commended the role of the General Manager of women Sports' Association, Nazmia Abdulsalam, Director of Al-Muraisi stadium, Abdullah al-Muta' and Director of Orphans' Care School Abdullah al-Shami for offering access to their playgrounds and halls to special Olympics tournament participants players to exercises in them. He also commended the Table tennis Association, the Faculty of Physical Education, and the Director of 22 May Hall for allowing the Special Olympics competitions to be held in their halls.

In a related issue, Dr. Iman Hashim Engad, the Special Olympics Executive Manager called all the institutions and governmental, mixed and private facilities to support the Special Olympics in their Governorates because they are considered to be reliable partners in developing their programs and objectives. She also called the Special Olympics employees, supervisors, volunteers and their families to work for the success of the upcoming games and all the sporting events which are a special distinctive base for providing services to the disabled at the national level.

Engad pointed out that sporting events would also be demonstrated on the sidelines of the tournaments for students with severe intellectual disabilities, as well as a workshop for families and volunteers from the branches.

She expected a large attendance to this fourth national Olympics tournament by the public, the players' families and the interested sports fans.