On 13th November two delegates, Mary Gu Shuhand and Daisy Cao, from Special Olympics International will arrive in Mongolia to officially welcome the country to the Special Olympics worldwide movement. Mary Gu Shuhang, the Regional President and Managing Director of Special Olympics International for the East Asia Region, is a highly respected figure and was named as one of the 20 iconic Chinese women by the French magazine ELLE in 2008. The visit will end on 15th November after official meetings and training.

The visit by two figureheads from the Special Olympics East Asia Region will mark the opening of activities of Special Olympics Mongolia (SOMGL) and key progress for the recognition and involvement in society of people with intellectual disabilities in Mongolia. Ms. Gu and Ms. Cao, the Director of Organizational Development for the East Asia Region, will meet with the Founding Committee and Board of Special Olympics Mongolia and officials from the Ministry of Sport, the Ministry of Education and the Mongolian Olympic Committee. It is expected that the delegation will also visit the special education schools to assess the facilities and sports equipment available and to meet the athletes of Special Olympics Mongolia. A training workshop for sports coaches and volunteers has also been arranged.

Special Olympics is an international organization that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports every day around the world. Through work in sports, health, education and community building, Special Olympics is addressing inactivity, injustice, intolerance and social isolation by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, which leads to a more welcoming and inclusive society. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown from a few hundred athletes to more than 4.2 million athletes in 170 countries. With the support of more than one million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics is able to deliver 32 Olympic-type sports and more than 70,000 competitions throughout the year.

Special Olympics Mongolia (SOMGL) was founded on 15th April 2013 by a group of determined people who want to promote and encourage people with intellectual disabilities in Mongolia. SOMGL is a recognized branch of the international Special Olympics movement and has received the official support of the President of Mongolia, Ts.Elbegdorj.

The mission of SOMGL is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendships with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Focusing on providing sports training particularly for children with intellectual disabilities the program offers weekly trainings in athletics, judo and table tennis with the cooperation of the special schools in Ulaanbaatar. In 2014 the program expects to expand to include 2000 athletes across Mongolia with the aim of sending athletes to compete in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games being hosted in Los Angeles, USA.

SOMGL is now taking applications for athletes and coaches. Athletes must be eight years or over and must have an intellectual disability. Registration and participation is free. For more information contact the Executive Director G.Ariun on 99046164, SpecialOlympicsMongolia@gmail.com