The UAE Special Olympics Golf team were lucky enough to be treated to a clinic from European Tour stars Adri Arnaus and Paul Waring during the practice day at the OMEGA Golf Dubai Desert Classic 2020. Then when walking down the range, Erik van Rooyen introduced himself to the team, spoke Afrikaans to one of the UAE golfers and was delighted to hear about their success at the 2019 Special Olympics.
At the Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi last year, the golf team achieved a gold medal in the level 5 division which is a skills category involving drop shots and short game challenges and earned a silver medal in the alternate shot category.
Robert Fiala, Operations Manager at Emirates Golf Federation, was there to assist the young team at Emirates Golf Club and comment on the success of the side at last year’s Special Olympics in the UAE capital. “It was a fantastic event in Abu Dhabi last year which was life-changing for myself,” says Fiala. “I spent 15 days there helping run and organise the event with the Olympic International Committee and what a success it was.”
“It’s brilliant that the European stars took the time out this morning to acknowledge and advise our UAE team today. It’s great for them to have some interaction with some of the biggest stars in the game and hopefully it inspires them to learn even more about golf.”
“We are looking forward to continuing to develop the country’s Special Olympic Golf team to compete in Germany in 2023.”
