2019 SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD SUMMER GAMES

Special Olympics: 

• Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities. 
  
  
• Mandate: 
  • It provides year-round training and competitions to 5 million athletes and Unified Sports partners in 172 countries. 
    
    
  • Special Olympics competitions are held every day, all around the world—including local, national and regional competitions, adding up to more than 100,000 events a year. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Status: The organization is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 
  
  
• Established in: 1968. 
  
  
• Location: Washington, D.C., U.S. 
  
  

Special Olympics World Games: 

• The Special Olympics World Games is a major event put on by the Special Olympics dedicated to people with intellectual disabilities. 
  
  
• The World Games alternate between summer and winter games, in two-year cycles, recurring every fourth year. 
  
  
• The first games were held on July 20, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois. The first World Winter Games were held in 1977 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. 
  
  

2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games: 

• The 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games is a multi-sport event for athletes with intellectual disabilities. 
  
  
• It is being held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates from March 14–21, 2019. 
  
  
• For the first time, the global sports event is being held in the Middle East and North Africa. 
  
  
• As many as 24 Olympic sports competitions will be carried out over a period of seven days, across nine venues in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.