French paralympic athlete Helios Latchoumanaya recently had the honor of holding the Paralympics flame during the 20th edition of the Rock en Seine music festival, which took place in Saint-Cloud, just outside of Paris. The event marked the beginning of the countdown to the 2024 Paralympic Games, which is set to kick off with the opening ceremony tomorrow in the French capital. Among the many talented athletes representing their countries at the games, Sara Masud and Ali Arshad from Qatar are hoping to secure medals in their respective events.
Sara Masud, an experienced competitor in the F33 class, will be participating in the women’s shot put event at the Paralympics. She is aiming to upgrade the silver medal she won at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, where she made history as the first Qatari female athlete to clinch a medal at the prestigious event. In addition to her Paralympic success, Sara has also achieved silver medals at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London and the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta.
On the other hand, Ali Arshad will be representing Qatar in wheelchair racing events at the Paralympics, following his impressive performances in continental competitions. The 20-year-old athlete earned a bronze medal at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games in 2022, along with a silver medal and two bronze medals at the Asian Para Games in Bahrain the same year. He will be looking to build on his previous successes and showcase his talent on the global stage in Paris.
Since making their debut at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, Team Qatar has won a total of three medals, including Sara Masud’s silver and Abdulrahman Abdulqadir Fiqi’s silver in men’s shot put F34 at Rio 2016. Abdulrahman Abdulqadir also brought home a bronze medal for Qatar at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics in the same event category. The Qatar delegation is led by Dr. Hassan Al Ansari, the Secretary General of the Qatar Paralympic Federation, as they aim to support their athletes in achieving their best performances at the upcoming games.
The 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris will feature around 4,400 athletes from over 180 countries competing in a total of 549 events across 18 competition sites, including famous venues from the Paris Olympics such as the Stade de France, Grand Palais, and the Chateau de Versailles. The scale and prestige of the event highlight the dedication and talent of para-athletes from across the globe as they come together to showcase their abilities and compete for top honors. As the games get underway, all eyes will be on athletes like Sara Masud and Ali Arshad as they aim to make their mark on the world stage and bring glory to their country.
