WWE superstar Daniel Bryan has praised athletes, organisers and UAE leadership as he attended the Special Olympics MENA Games in Abu Dhabi.
Bryan and the WWE have a long association with the Special Olympics and have been among the strongest supporters of the movement.
His first impressions of the current Games have been nothing but positive: “I am only at one facility in Abu Dhabi, but they have multiple facilities around the city, and I am in awe of what they have put together here,” said Bryan.
Despite the razzmatazz of professional wrestling, Bryan has always been considered one of the most socially conscious performers and his work with people of determination and the environment is well-known.
“It fits my thoughts and my bigger-world view,” he said. “There is a lot of separation in the world right now, and with the Special Olympics their message is all about inclusion and doing that through sport.
“I think sport is just a great way to include people and make people feel a part of something and that’s what the Special Olympics does.
“Seeing what everybody goes through, and seeing the enthusiasm and to see the joy on their faces – that’s bigger than anything I do wrestling-wise. That’s more important than me winning any championships or headlining Wrestlemania. “
“People sometimes think of being celebrities as being outside of the norm, whereas we are really all just people – we are all the same. Everyone has little differences here and there, but we are all the same. You notice that people who are trying to do good for the world and are trying to make an impact they all have an ability to connect with people because we are all trying for the common good.”
Bryan also spoke about the western-world’s perception of the Middle East, and was highly complementary of UAE leadership and the role they are playing in changing misconceptions.
“This isn’t necessarily a region, where people on the outside think of inclusion,” he said. “But they (everyone behind the Games) have done a great job here of changing that, and I am hoping that by hosting the World Special Olympics here, that people will really see the world is changing. The leaders in Abu Dhabi are saying they want inclusion and want to be a part of solving the humanitarian issues of the world today and I think they are doing a great job of that.”
