The national Paralympic champion from the UAE, Mohammed Al-Kaied, continues to conquer world tracks and arenas. Since 2007, he has won 130 medals, including 29 at the Paralympic Games and world championships (12 gold, 12 silver, 5 bronze), raising the UAE flag high above the sporting arena. Mohammed Al-Kaied stated: "I am proud of my achievements, for which there is unwavering support from Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi, a member of the Supreme Council and ruler of Sharjah, and also great attention to my talent from the Trust for the Disabled club, the Sharjah Sports Council, and the Emirates Paralympic Committee." He also remarked: "I have won about 130 medals of various distinctions at international and Paralympic competitions, including the Dubai International Marathon, as well as local titles at competitions in the Al-Ain club, the Trust club, and Hurfaqan, at the Gulf Games for people with disabilities." Mohammed Al-Kaied noted a turning point in his sports career, which started when participating in the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, where he took fourth place in the 100-meter race on the track, which was a major disappointment for him as he was favored for gold. However, thanks to determination and perseverance, he won the gold in the subsequent race over 400 meters on the track. The champion directed a message to all athletes, including people with disabilities, to not let defeats affect them, and used them as a stimulus to return to victory through a high level of determination and perseverance. He emphasized: "Personally, I obtained a boost from the Paralympics in Brazil, both in sports and in the social aspect, specifically this sports history became a turning point which led me to a more significant breakthrough." Mohammed Al-Kaied emphasized that sacrifices, determination, and training are all factors that lead to victories, and he spent the longest foreign training camp for athletes with disabilities in the world, spending more than 10 months in Thailand in 2020. He talked about the injury he sustained at the World Championship, which took place in Japan last May, and how he only learned about the injury after returning to the UAE and undergoing follow-up. This prompted him to compete in the Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024. However, he is not planning to complete his sports career after the injury and is currently undergoing treatment, aiming to recover with the support of the Sharjah Sports Council and the Emirates Paralympic Committee. In connection with his gold experience and accumulated sports baggage, he was appointed as a member of the management of the Trust for the Disabled club and a specialist in sports for people with disabilities in the Sharjah Sports Council, as well as a mission to support and develop talented athletes with disabilities.
