The announcement was made on Tuesday, when Sheikh Sultan all the members of the UAE Paralympic team at his office.

In addition to praising the UAE Paralympians, the Ruler of Sharjah stressed the importance of the media in recognising the achievements of para-athletes.

Tariq Sultan bin Khadim, deputy chairman of the UAE Disabled Sports Federation and Head of the UAE Paralympic Committee, was present at the meeting and acknowledged that Sheikh Sultan is a long-time supporter of people with disabilities in the UAE.

UAE finished 38th in the medals tally at the Rio Paralympics, the 18-member contingent winning seven medals – two gold four silver  and one bronze.

The shooting and athletics teams won three medals each while one medal was won by the powerlifting team.

The nation’s medal tally was a significant improvement on their performance in the 2012 Paralympics in London, where they won just three.