Iraq, Saudi and UAE shine in early medals at West Asia Para Games

Muscat: Muscat hosted the official opening ceremony of the fifth West Asia Para Games (Muscat 2026) on Tuesday evening, in a festive atmosphere that reflected the Sultanate of Oman’s stature as a host of major international championships for persons with disabilities.
The opening ceremony was held under the auspices of Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali al Harthy, Under-Secretary of the Foreign Ministry for Political Affairs, and attended by Basil bin Ahmed al Rawas, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Sports and Youth, Chair of the Games’ Higher Organising Committee, along with heads of national Paralympic delegations, representatives of sports federations, several dignitaries, ambassadors and guests.
The ceremony featured symbolic segments that reflected the spirit of the Games and their human message. It began with the Omani national anthem, followed by the parade of participating delegations, then a short film highlighting the journey of the Paralympic movement. This was followed by an artistic performance that embodied the identity of the Games.
Speeches were delivered by the Organising Committee and the West Asia Paralympic Federation, after which the athletes’ and referees’ oaths were taken, the Games were officially declared open, and the Games’ flag was raised.
In his speech during the ceremony, Dr Mansoor al Touqi, Chairman of the Oman Paralympic Committee (OPC), stressed that Muscat’s hosting of the fifth edition reflects Oman’s vision in supporting persons with disabilities and its belief that will power is the true driver of development. He explained that this edition is the largest in the history of the Games in terms of the number of countries, athletes and sports, with 11 West Asian nations competing in nine para sports, giving the event significant technical and organisational weight.
Al Touqi praised the role of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and the OPC in preparation and organisation, as well as the technical cooperation with international federations.
Badminton Results
The badminton competitions saw several champions crowned across the various singles, doubles and mixed doubles events.
In men’s wheelchair doubles, the Iraqi pair of Abbas Ahmed and Karar Hussein won the gold medal, while Saudi duo Majed al Shafie and Mohammed Ahmed took silver. The bronze went to the Omani–Iraqi pairing of Ashraf al Khasibi and Mahdi Hussein.
In mixed wheelchair doubles, Iraq’s Mohammed Karim and Bahrain’s Ruba Youssef claimed gold, while the Emirati pair Omair Younis and Siham al Rashidi took silver. In standing mixed doubles, gold went to Iraqi–Lebanese duo Abbas Ahmed and Aya Youssef, silver to Iraqi–Bahraini pair Karar Hussein and Zainab Ali, and bronze to Bahrain’s Elyas al Yasi and Syria’s Altaf Sharif.
In short-stature men’s doubles, Iraq’s Imad Adel and Saudi Arabia’s Younus al Subhi captured gold, with silver going to Jordan’s Mohammed al Tawwalbeh and Lebanon’s Reda Nabil.
In singles wheelchair events, Iraq’s Mohammed Karim won gold, Saudi Arabia’s Mahdi Saleh took silver, and bronze was shared by Iraq’s Hassan Wathiq and the UAE’s Siham al Rashidi. In men’s standing singles, Iraq's Abbas Ahmed took gold, his compatriot Mahdi Hussein silver, while bronze medals went to Bahrain’s Elyas Abdullah and Iraq’s Abdullah Mahmoud.
In women’s standing singles, Lebanon’s Aya Youssef won the gold, with Syria’s Altaf Sharif taking silver. In men’s short-stature singles, Saudi's Younus al Subhi claimed gold, Iraq’s Imad Adel took silver, Lebanon’s Reda Nabil and Jordan’s Musab al Tawwalbeh shared bronze medals.
Wheelchair Basketball and Athletics Results
In wheelchair basketball, Iraq beat the UAE 60–47, while Oman lost a hard-fought game against Bahrain 67–61.
In athletics, the excitement continued with wide participation from athletes representing various countries. In the men’s 200m wheelchair race, the UAE’s Mohammed Fahdani took first place, while Saudi athletes Jamaan al Zahrani and Saleh al Suwailem finished second and third respectively.
In the men’s 200m T11 category, Iraq’s Okab Mohammed won gold, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Aami took silver, and Oman’s Ibrahim al Amri claimed bronze.
The men’s 1,500 metre wheelchair race witnessed complete Saudi dominance, with Al Bara al Qarni taking first place, followed by Saleh al Suwailem in second and Jamaan al Zahrani in third.
In the men’s discus throw F11, the UAE’s Mohammed al Kaabi won gold, Iraq’s Abbas Hammadi took silver, and Saudi Arabia’s Ziyad al Khuraib claimed bronze. In the men’s javelin wheelchair event, Saudi athlete Salam Haider took first place, while Emiratis Sultan al Shamsi and Ahmed Zwaidi finished second and third respectively.
In the women’s javelin wheelchair event, Bahrain’s Ruba al Omari won gold, Oman’s Shareefa al Hatmi took silver and the UAE’s Shaima al Rashidi secured bronze. The women’s shot put F37 concluded with the UAE’s Maryam al Zwaidi taking first place, Bahrain’s Maryam al Humaidi second and the UAE’s Maryam al Matrooshi third.
Goalball Results
Goalball teams continued to deliver strong performances on day two. Oman thrashed Syria 11–1, while Saudi Arabia thumped the UAE 10–0 in another match. Qatar maintained their positive run with a 12–2 victory over Yemen, and Iraq overcame Bahrain 14–4.