Youth and Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhi said on Sunday that Egypt witnesses an unprecedented phase of development, which serves its new republic.

Addressing an event dedicated to children with special needs in the presence of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Sobhi said the unprecedented support for the sports sector helped Egypt to be ready to host any international sporting event, such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup.

Egypt’s athletes were able to win several medals recently as a result of this generous support, the minister noted.

The youth minister said that Egypt’s athletes won 2,329 medals in various sporting tournaments in the past period.

Egypt has also hosted 261 Arab, continental and international championships recently, Sobhi noted.

The ministry carried out several activities in support of persons with special needs through an updated database, representation in parliaments of youth and vanguards, as well as political and national education programs, and employment and entrepreneurship programs.

The ministry spares no effort to achieve social integration of children with special needs, Sobhi said, pointing out that his ministry upgraded various sporting halls for the disabled people across the nation.

Sobhi pointed out that the ministry and the Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination signed an agreement to establish 60 centers to hone skills of persons with special needs, of which 12 centers have already been finalized at a cost of 60 million pounds.

The ministry also organized a league for deaf youth at a cost of 5 million pounds, and a basketball league for deaf girls at a cost of 2 million pounds, he added.

Source: State Information Service Egypt