Children take the Kids Olympic Games in their stride at Dubai's Reef Mall
It was an unusual race. The excitement in the audience was palpable but the participants themselves were oblivious to the big challenge ahead.
While their parents and older siblings looked tense and worked out strategies for winning the Baby Walker race at the DSS 2007 Kids Olympic Games, the babies themselves happily played with the colourful toys and buttons on the baby walkers.
At the word "Go", the parents tried to entice their kids to move down the track by waving their favourite toys and crying out words of encouragement, and the audience cheered them on.
But the would-be Olympic champions had other ideas. Some preferred to continue playing, completely ignoring the pleas to walk, others took off sideways or went round and round in circles; some started crying and one toddler just wanted to dance to the music.
Focussed
Nine-month-old Satoru Isohi was amazingly focussed and sprinted down the track to his mother to win the first race with ease. Eleven-month-old Zainab Maqsood rushed down the track backwards into the arms of her proud father to clinch the second race.
With a lot of coaxing from her father, 10-month-old Jana Abdulla made it to the finish line to win the third race.
The three winners then competed in the final race. Scared by the loud cheering of the audience Saturo started bawling and gave his mum some anxious moments.
But he did beat the girls to win the gold medal and a Dh1,500 gift voucher from Baby Shop.
Jana won the silver medal and a Baby Shop gift voucher worth Dh1,000. Zainab may have lost this race but the little lady from Pakistan did not lose her lovely smile.
In fact, while the winner continued to cry, the bronze medallist, who took home a Dh500 Baby Shop voucher, stood smiling on the podium triumphantly waving a balloon.
'Thrilled'
"In Japan we have many such events for babies and when we moved to Dubai a few months ago we thought our baby would miss the opportunity to participate in such activities. I am thrilled that DSS has organised the Kids Olympic Games," said Saturo's mother, Shiho Isohi.
Jana's father echoed the same sentiment. "We are from Saudi Arabia and have come to Dubai especially for DSS. Our children have enjoyed all the DSS activities, but this was fun because both parents and children were involved in it and the prizes are excellent," he said.
