Special Olympics World Games 2015 - Los Angeles

Set to take place in Los Angeles from the 25th of July to the 2nd of August 2015, the Special Olympics World Games is a celebration of the talents, perseverance and accomplishments of sportspeople with intellectual disabilities. As the largest sports and humanitarian event in the world, the games will feature over 6,500 Olympic athletes from across 165 countries who come together under a new global vision of acceptance by unleashing the true spirit and transformative power of sports. The Special Olympics World Games is held every two years, with this year showcasing 25 different sporting events at various venues across Los Angeles. The games in Los Angeles marks the first World Summer Games held in the U.S. in 16 years and expects an audience of over 500,000 spectators during the course of the event. Click here for a Muslim-friendly city guide to Los Angeles Some of the main sporting event venues of the Special Olympics World Games 2015 have been listed below. Aquatics: Uytengsu Aquatics Center (USC) Athletics: Loker Stadium/Cromwell Field (USC) Badminton: Student Activity Center (UCLA) Basketball: Galen Center (USC) Bocce: Los Angeles Convention Center Bowling: Lucky Strike Lanes – LA Live Equestrian: Los Angeles Equestrian Center Football (5/side): Intramural Fields (UCLA) Football (11/side): Drake Stadium and the North Athletic Field (UCLA) Golf: Wilson/Harding Courses (Griffith Park) Handball: Los Angeles Convention Center Kayaking: Marine Stadium (Long Beach) Marathon: (Long Beach) Powerlifting: Los Angeles Convention Center Roller Skating: Los Angeles Convention Center Sailing: Alamitos Bay & Belmont Pier Softball: Balboa Sports Complex Table Tennis: Los Angeles Convention Center Tennis: The Los Angeles Tennis Center (UCLA) Volleyball: Pauley Pavilion (UCLA)   Muslim-friendly facilities in close proximity to the venues include the Masjid Omar ibn Al-Khattab that can be visited during prayers at 1025 Exposition Boulevard. For dining options, there are a few Halal restaurants in the area such as the Makkah Halal Tandoori at 401 Vermont Avenue - which specialises in Indian cuisine - and Red Chili at 18108 Parthenia Street Northridge for both Indian and Pakistani cuisine. More information about the Special Olympics World Games is available on its official website on http://www.la2015.org/