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29 March 2024

UAE ‘shooting’ for Olympic glory at Rio 2016

Ahmad Al Kamali (right), President UAE Athletic Federation speaks to the media during a press conference ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Emirates Towers on July 24, 2016 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Getty Images)

Published
By Allaam Ousman

UAE will be gunning for glory at the Rio Olympics with 13 athletes representing six sports, it was announced by the UAE National Olympic Committee (UAE NOC).

The UAE team includes Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum who will be competing in the Olympics for a record fifth time.

Apart from shooting, UAE will be represented in athletics, cycling, swimming, shooting, weight lifting and judo.

This was announced at a press conference attended by heads of sports bodies being represented in Brazil, and former middle and long distance Moroccan legend Saeed Aouita.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President, UAE National Olympic Committee, in a message, said: "We have been privileged by a leadership keen on human development in all respects and for the sake of this it had allocated all resources to realise that vision. The support of our leaders underlines the ongoing development and substantial achievements made thus far. The key objective underlining our participation in the biggest global sport gathering is to represent the nation in a decent manner."

The youngest member of the squad Nada Al Bedwawi, 18, will be UAE’s flag-bearer at the Olympic Games which begins in Rio de Janeiro from August 5.

"She has our support to have the UAE flag at the opening ceremony," said Dawood Al Hajri, assistant secretary-general of the UAE NOC.

Nada became the first UAE woman to take part at the World Swimming Championships last year and will be the first female athlete to carry the UAE flag at the Olympics.

UAE’s best chance for a medal lies in the three-man shooting team of Sheikh Saeed, Khaled Al Kaabi and Saif bin Futtais.

They will seek to emulate the feat of UAE’s solitary Olympic medallist Sheikh Ahmed bin Hasher Al Maktoum, who won gold in double trap at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

"Our three shooters embarked on a long-term programme after the London Games to have them as prepared and ready as possible," said Rabee Al Awadhi, vice-president of the UAE Shooting Association said.

"This is the first time we have had three qualifiers in shooting. They have participated in numerous world championships, grand prix events and training camps so they are well prepared. This has made a huge difference. We brought same machines they are using for Olympics for training because targets have been changed,” he added.

They booked places by virtue of their best finishes at the 2014 and 2015 ISSF World Championships, the 2015 ISSF World Cup Series, and the Asian Championships.

A last minute inclusion in the UAE delegation was 1,500m runner Saoud Al Za'abi although the country’s medal prospects in athletics was hit by an injury to Bethlem Desaleyn on the eve of the Games.

Desaleyn displayed her Olympic medal credentials with a hard fought 1,500m victory in an international meet in Belgium, but apparently strained her hamstring as a result.

“I’m very sad at the injury suffered to our best athlete. Her doctor said she needs three weeks to recover which means her Olympics is gone. We are very upset,” said Aouita who suffered a similar fate during the 1988 Games.

Desaleyn has won the double at the 2013 and 2015 Asian Championships.

“It happens to athletes, when they train under pressure. It has happened to me at the ’88 Olympics. When you get close to the event, you start doing speed workout to get rhythm and that could be the problem – or if she didn’t warm up very well, or drink enough water," said Aouita, who is technical adviser of the UAE NOC.

UAE athletic federation chief Ahmad Al Kamali was hopeful Desaleyn would recover in time to take part in the Games.

All hope is not lost as UAE have another accomplished long distance runner in Alia Saeed Mohammed (10,000m).

“I will not be surprised if one of our athletes do well
because they need a little luck. Olympics is different from world championships,” said Al Kamali who acknowledged that shooting and judokas also have a good chance of winning medals.

Yousif Mirza of Al Nasr Club will be taking part in the 250-kilometre road event having qualified after finishing second in the Asian Cycling Championship in Thailand last year.

"We’ve been preparing Yousif for the past year to compete at Rio," said Osama Al Shafar, the president of the UAE Cycling Federation. "Rio is going to be one of the longest races ever, with the best of the best riders from all over the world. Most of the Tour de France riders will be in Rio. He is planning to break away from the peloton."

UAE team

Athletics

Alia Saeed (10,000m)

Bethlem Desaleyn (1500m)

Saood Al Za’abi (1500m)

Cycling

Yousif Mirza

Judo

Ivan Remarenco

Sergiu Toma

Victor Scvortov

Shooting

Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Saif bin Futtais

Khaled Al Kaabi

 

Swimming

 

Nada Al Bedwawi (women's 50m freestyle)

Yaqoub Al Sa’adi (men's 100m backstroke)

Weightlifting

 

Aysha Al Balooshi