The Special Olympics World Winter Games took place in Austria this year, showcasing 2,600 athletes from 105 countries. Some 130 of these athletes were representing the Africa region, from 7 countries, in 4 different sports.
Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Kenya featured teams in floorball while Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa featured teams in floor hockey. South Africa also featured athletes in figure skating and speed skating.
In floor hockey competition, teams from Africa experienced much, tougher competition, as athletes from the Africa Region were generally much smaller in size than their opponents. Despite their players' physical size, the teams made it through the divisioning round into the knockout phase. The good news is that every Africa Region team in this contest qualified for a medal.
By the end of the Games, the Africa Regional teams took home 14 medals, including 8 gold.