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2009 Special Olympics To Take Place In Sarajevo, Bosnia And Herzegovina

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina have been selected as the site of the 2009 Special Olympic World Winter Games, which is expected to attract 2,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities from about 80 countries, as well as thousands of families, volunteers, spectators and media from around the world.

It will be the second time that the Special Olympics World Winter Games will be hosted in Europe.

Exact dates for the 2009 Games have not yet been finalized.

Factors in selecting Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina included the country’s climate and geography, its Olympic athletic facilities, and the strong Special Olympics program in Bosnia and Herzegovina,

The Special Olympics were founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver and is reported to be the world’s largest year-round program of sports training and competitions for individuals with intellectual disabilities of all ability levels. Almost two million athletes in more than 150 countries train and compete in 26 summer and winter Olympic-type sports at local, national and international events.

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