Bodybuilding chief aims to power cycling in UAE

Osama Ahmad Shafar, founding president of the World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation, hopes to shift gears and empower the sport of cycling in the UAE.

The former Asian Bodybuilding chief aims to rejuvenate cycling with the ultimate objective of producing an Emirati rider at the Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Announcing his candidacy to take over the UAE Cycling Federation (UAECF) at a press conference held at Al Nasr Club, Shafar unveiled a 25-point plan to develop the sport.

"I'm going to start from schools to search for talent and find somebody from there to work towards my main goal of product an Olympic level cyclist who would represent UAE at the 2016 Games in Brazil. We are going to start from now because the Olympic goal is my main target," said Al Shafar who has proven administrative skills having successfully staged the first ever World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships in Dubai in 2009.

He will be up against the incumbent president of the UAECF Sheikh Faisal bin Humaid Al Nuaimi. "This is my biggest challenge because he has done so much for the sport in the last 22 years," he said.

Asked why he decided to literally change track from bodybuilding to cycling, Shafar revealed that he has been an active competitor for the last two years.

"It's a big move from bodybuilding to cycling. My aim is to bring more people to actively engage in cycling which is a very important Olympic discipline," he said.

He hopes to start by abolishing fines which clubs have accrued in a bid to encourage them to be more active and increase the number of riders in the UAE.

Apart from introducing cycling in schools in coordination with the Ministry of Education, he wants to attract more girls to the sport.

He aims to popularise the sport by conducting new age group competitions and also a special league for amateur riders.

Identifying the need to introduce modern scientific methods of training, Shafar hopes to diversify it by establishing training centres in each emirate.

He has ambitious plans of plans of having an international training centre in the Middle East for riders with the blessings of the International Cycling Union.

Another objective is the revival of the Tour of Emirates Bank International in the calendar and then raise the rating of Tour to professional first class.

Shafar hopes to create a working group among the members of the Board of Directors based on team spirit to achieve a tangible quality leap in the UAE Cycling Federation.
 

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