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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

BP Oman launches region’s first para-sailing programme

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Muscat: Oman Sail, BP Oman and Oman Paralympic Committee have come together to launch the region’s first para-sailing programme, SailFree, which is designed to introduce people with a physical impairment to the sport of sailing.


The Oman Sail headquarters in Muscat’s Al Mouj Marina was the setting for the launch, which was attended by Her Highness Sayyida Hujaijah bint Jaifer al Said, chairperson of the Association for the Welfare of Handicapped Children, Eng Yousuf al Ojaili, BP Oman President, Dr Mansoor Sultan al Tauqi, President of Oman Paralympic Committee and David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail LLC as well as senior executives from BP Oman and Oman Sail.


Her Highness Sayyida Hujaijah al Said said: “Thank you to BP Oman, Oman Sail, and Oman Paralympic Committee for having the vision of SailFree, a programme that will give our youth freedom and new opportunity. I look forward to closely following its success.”


Following the announcement, World Sailing President Kim Anderson said: “SailFree is important because our sport includes all people. We know from para-sailing around the world that our sport is able to accommodate most physical impairments and creates opportunities for para-sailors to go out in the world and feel free. “Para-sailing will be in a good hand with Oman Sail because they have good facilities, they have the knowledge, and they have also shown that they are sustainable in the long term. Oman Sail is something to be proud of not only in Oman, but around the world.”


Over the next two months, 105 men and women from different levels of physical impairment that meet the Paralympic movement classification will be selected from across the Sultanate to take part in one of three events in Musannah and Sur.


After the final event in January 2020, a group of 30 will be selected to progress to the second stage of the programme. A national team will be formed, and the sailors will represent Oman in international regattas.


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