Arabs win big at the Rio Paralympics

After bringing home 16 medals from the Rio Olympics, Arab athletes brought the summer to an impressive end with 74 Paralympic medals.

From the world's only  armless table tennis player, to the blind Algerian who ran faster than the Olympic gold medalist, Arab Paralympians made us proud this month.

With great conviction, they showed us that the Paralympics - the Olympics' counterpart for disabled athletes - are a thrill to watch, and the competition is all the more intriguing knowing that the athletes have beaten all odds to reach the international podium.

Each of Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia earned berths at the Rio Paralympic medal table.

Tunisian Raoua Tlili added 3.68 meters to her previous discus throw world record for women with short stature. Meanwhile, her compatriot Maroua Brahimi set a world record in the club throw.

Tunisia's Bilel Aloui and Morocco's Mohamed Amguoun set new world and Paralympic records in the 5,000-meter and 400-meter races for the visually impaired. Meanwhile, Egypt's power-lifter Sherif Osman broke a world and Paralympic record in the 59-kilogram category.

Also, Emirati Mohamed Al-Hammadi broke a Paralympic record in the 800-meter wheelchair race.

Sara Al-Senaani became the UAE's first-ever female Paralympic medallist after she won a shot put bronze.