UAE swimming star has sights on World Cup

It’s now less than two weeks until UAE breaststroker Mubarak Al Besher will take to the starting blocks alongside some of the world’s top swimmers in Dubai.

With the FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup just a fortnight away, the local police officer can’t wait to once again compete at the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Sports Complex.

“It is a fantastic facility and I definitely think I swim better and faster in this pool,” said Al Besher before national team training at the impressive complex recently.

“I will be competing in the 50, 100, and 200m breaststroke and am looking forward to a great competition,” added the 23-year-old.

Al Besher is one of the rising stars in the UAE team, having broken over a dozen national records in the last year. He also claimed two gold medals, in the 50 and 100m breaststroke at the recent GCC Swimming Championships in Kuwait and represented the UAE at the World Championships in Shanghai earlier this year.

But it is getting the chance to compete in home waters on October 7 and 8 that really inspires him. “It will be great. All my family is here. It is my country, so I want to swim very well for my country,” he said.

“I would love the people of Dubai to come and see their national team swim. I’m really looking forward to swimming with all those great international swimmers at the World Cup and my aim is to reach the final,” added Al Besher.

Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council, Dr Ahmed Saad Al Sharif said: “We are greatly looking forward to seeing Mubarak Al Besher in action at the
FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup in two weeks’ time and we urge the UAE public to come and support the national team.”
 
President of the UAE Swimming Federation, Ahmed Al Falasi added: “We have some great emerging talent here in the UAE and Mubarak is certainly one to keep an eye on. I have no doubt he has an exciting future in the sport.”

Tickets for the FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup on October 7 and 8 will be available at the door at the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Sports Complex, which is located on the Dubai Bypass Road. General admission tickets cost just Dh20 each day and VIP tickets are Dh150 per day. Heats will start at 9am each day and finals at 6pm.

For more information, log on to www.uaeswimming.com/swc/en/home.

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