Muscat: The curtain has come down on the 5th West Asia Para Games (Muscat 2026), hosted by the Sultanate of Oman from February 1–7, with the participation of more than 600 male and female athletes from 11 countries, competing in nine para sports. The edition showcased the growing development of sport for persons with disabilities in the region and concluded with the Iraqi national team being crowned overall champions of the Games after topping the medals table in several sports with a total of 92 medals.
During the closing ceremony, Dr Mansour al Touqi, Director of the Games, affirmed that “Muscat 2026” was a successful sporting and human model, noting that the event was not just about competition, but a platform to support the Paralympic movement and entrench values of inclusion and fair play. He praised the high spirit and commitment shown by the athletes, and the efforts of the organising committees and volunteers who presented a distinguished image of Oman, stressing that this edition will remain an important milestone in the history of West Asia Games, with anticipation now turning to the next edition in Basra.
GOALBALL... A HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT FOR OMAN
In goalball for the blind, Saudi Arabia claimed first place, while our national team celebrated a historic achievement by finishing runners-up for the first time in its history, with Iraq taking third place.
WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
In wheelchair basketball, Iraq continued its strong run to take first place, with the United Arab Emirates finishing second and Saudi Arabia third.
BOCIA... SAUDI SUPREMACY AND OMANI PRESENCE
Boccia competitions saw outstanding Saudi dominance, with the Kingdom topping the medals table with four gold and two silver medals, alongside strong performances from Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, the UAE and Jordan. In the BC1 women’s category, Omani player Arwa al Harthy took gold, and Omani Kholoud al Kindy won silver, while Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz al Zahrani clinched gold in BC1 men ahead of Iraqi Mohamed Fadel and Oman’s Samir al Salmi.
In the pairs events, Saudi Arabia secured gold in BC3 pairs ahead of our national team, while the UAE won gold in BC4 pairs, with
Oman taking silver.
TABLE TENNIS ... IRAQI, SYRIAN, PALESTINE AND OMANI PRESENCE
In standing men’s doubles, Syrian–Palestinian duo Haitham al Qassas (Syria) and Atallah Hayek (Palestine) clinched first place, followed by Iraq’s Muntazar Farouq and Mohamed Qahtan in second.
In women’s sitting doubles, Iraq’s Rusal Fadel and Hadeel Ali took gold, with the Saudi pair Maryam al Marsil and Ranad al Rahili in second.
SWIMMING... IRAQI DOMINANCE
In para swimming, Iraqi athletes collected a series of gold medals in freestyle, breaststroke and individual medley events, while Saudi swimmers impressed in backstroke, butterfly and middle-distance races. Qatar also stood out in visually impaired events through swimmer Shamil Shahouf, alongside strong results for Syrian swimmers Walid al Khas and Rami Qashqo.
CYCLING
Saudi cyclist Mohamed Saleh claimed several top finishes in C-class races, alongside his teammate Abbas Hussein, while Emirati riders Abdullah al Baloushi, Ahmed al Badwawi and Thiyab al Muhairi asserted their superiority in other events.
In H-class handcycling, Saudi rider Manahi Abdullah stood out by winning gold, and Omani national team cyclist Sami Al Salimi drew attention by taking first place in the 35 km marathon after finishing second in the 15 km time-trial, stressing that these results are a major boost ahead of the upcoming Asian Championships.
POWERLIFTING
In powerlifting, Emirati lifters Abdullah al Naqbi and Saif al Zaabi secured first place in the men’s 107 kg and 72 kg categories, respectively, while Omani lifter Khalifa al Yahyai claimed second place in the 72 kg category. Iraqi and Jordanian lifters shone in the 54–59 kg class, with strong showings from Syria, Bahrain and Jordan in the women’s events.
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