Laayoune – Morocco intends to participate in the final stage of the Special Olympics Unified Cup 2022 football tournament, scheduled from July 30 to August 6 in Detroit.
The Moroccan team consists of players from Morocco’s Special Olympics squad and Rabat’s International University, who will participate in the men’s football division.
Nasseem El Charradi is the captain of the Moroccan delegation, which also includes former international player Aziz Bouderbala, coach Elias Bentaleb, assistant coach Jaafar Takmoti, and physician Dr. Nadia Chafik.
Both the male and female divisions of this cup will feature 22 teams from 21 nations, including 4 teams from the North African and Middle East area. Morocco and Saudi Arabia will compete in the male division, while Egypt and the United Arab Emirates will feature in the female division.
Read also: Abu Dhabi’s Special Olympics MENA Games to Kick Off with Morocco’s Participation
The Special Olympics Unified Sports combines intellectually challenged athletes and athletes without intellectual impairment in order to train and compete together on the same team
Participating in Unified Sports aims to help athletes become “more physically fit, develop their talents, and learn acceptance and inclusiveness,” said the organizers of the tournament.
The Special Olympics Unified is modeled after the FIFA World Cup. The tournament’s main goal is to use football to demonstrate “the value of inclusion and the fun of playing sports.”
