No golden double for UAE Paralympian Alaryani
UAE Paralympic champion Abdulla Sultan Alaryani was unable to pull off a dream double in shooting after missing out on a medal in the R7-50m Rifle 3 Positions-SH1 competition on Wednesday.
Alaryani, who won the UAE’s first and only gold of the fortnight in London when he triumphed in the Mixed R6-50m Rifle Prone-SH1 on Tuesday, was aiming for another golden double at London’s Royal Artillery Barracks.
But a problem with his rifle prevented him from capturing one more medal before wrapping up his Paralympics campaign. Read more here...
UAE sprinter Hammadi not content with Paralympic silver
UAE sprinter Mohamed Hammadi was happy with his medalling efforts in the T34 200m competition but admits he was gutted for not winning the gold.
The 27-year-old from Sharjah finished second behind Tunisia’s Walid Ktila, clocking a seasonal best of 28.95s, but saw the world record he had set earlier in the heats get smashed by the North African minutes later in the following heat.
Hammadi, who trains at the Thiqa Club in Sharjah, had won two gold medals and one silver atthe IPC World Athletics Championship last year, and while he’s proud of his achievement in London, he concedes he really dreamt of landing on top of the podium.
“Thank God for everything of course, but it’s not the timing nor the medal I wanted - I wanted gold,” Hammadi said. Read more here...
Bronze medalist Kamal Bahamdan hoping Saudi's Olympic success can inspire Arab world
There can be few things in sport more painful than coming fourth in an event at the Olympic Games, but for Saudi Arabian rider Kamal Bahamdan a bronze medal in the team jumping competition must have helped take out the sting from his fourth-place finish in individual jumping.
The 42-year-old from Riyadh was competing in his fifth Olympics but this time he had set higher goals for himself and was determined to go the distance.
After three solid qualification rounds on his 11-year-old mare Noblesse Des Tess, Bahamdan entered the final two rounds of the individual competition sharp and confident.
He jumped two clear rounds in the final but picked up two time faults which put him one single penalty point behind the Netherlands’ Gerco Schroder and Ireland’s Cian O’Connor, who both had to go through a jump-off to settle the battle for silver.
“I missed out on the bronze by ‘one hair’,” said Bahamdan. Read more here...
London 2012: Egyptian wrestlers out of Olympics after scheduling mix-up
A drastic mistake saw Egyptian wrestlers Abdou Omar and Saleh Emara forfeit their first round matches this morning after failing to show up on time at the ExCel North Arena.
Omar was supposed to face Devid Safaryan of Armenia in the 66kg freestyle while Emara was to face George Gogshelidze of Georgia in the 96kg freestyle.
But the Egyptian pair arrived at the arena several hours late stating they were unaware that the wrestling competition started at 8.30am on Sunday rather than the usual 1pm due to the closing ceremony taking place tonight and were shocked to hear they had lost their matches. Read more here...
Proper planning essential for Arab world's Olympic dreams
After 12 days of competition at the London 2012 Olympics, the Arab world has collectively gathered nine Olympic medals, including one single gold.
While that’s already more than the seven Arab medals won in Beijing four years ago, it is still a small tally coming from 22 different Arab states with a total population that amounts to almost 350 million.
Heavyweights like China and the US have passed the 70-medal mark already and a European nation such as the Netherlands has produced 14 medals so far.
So while those nine medals won by Arabs are praise-worthy, they are also a reason for us to take a closer look as to why the Arab countries are failing. Read more here...
Farida Osman: A whirlwind week for the Egyptian swimming star
Last year, Farida Osman became Egypt’s first ever junior world champion when she grabbed the gold in the 50m butterfly at the Junior World Championships in Lima, Peru setting a world record in the process.
She then followed that up with a stunning seven gold medal scoop at the Arab Games in Doha, which coincidentally earned her a $35,000 bonus cheque as the Games’ most successful female contestant. Osman however refused to take the bonus to stay eligible for competing in the NCAA should she go to college in the United States next year.
The 17-year-old Osman is the swimmer Egypt has been waiting for and makes her Olympic debut in the 50m freestyle event on Friday. After achieving the Olympic Standard Time, which earns you a spot based on space availability in the races, she only received a call-up for the Games last week and her life has got infinitely more exciting since then, from hanging out in the Athletes’ Village, to the stunning opening ceremony.
Sport360°'s Reem Abulleil caught up with the teenager to find out more about life at the Village. Read more here...
Faye Sultan: The Kuwaiti swimmer leading a revolution
She’s going to be the first Kuwaiti female swimmer ever to compete at the Olympic Games when she jumps into the pool at the Aquatic Centre in London’s Olympic Park on Friday.
Standing at almost six-feet-tall, the 17-year-old Faye Sultan is about to make history only two years after returning to the pool, having left the sport for dance a few years back.
After the International Olympic Committee (IOC) lifted a two-year ban to allow Kuwaitis to compete under its own national flag, Sultan is now gearing up for her bid in the 50m freestyle event.
How are you feeling ahead of your Olympic debut?
Right now I’m more excited than anything. The night before my race though, the nerves will probably start kicking in. Read more here...
Khadija Mohammed: An Olympic weightlifter only two years in the making
The way Khadija Mohammed – the Gulf region’s first ever female weightlifter – was chosen to represent the UAE at the London 2012 Games epitomises the Olympic spirit.
The 17-year-old Emirati was part of a six-strong weightlifting team that managed to clinch one individual qualifying spot at the London 2012 Olympics, after a surprise performance at the Asian Championships in Korea last May.
It was a team effort that earned the UAE a place in London, but only one girl could go. The weightlifting officials did not want to create a competition between the six lifters to choose the one who would make history for the Gulf. Instead they asked the girls to make the choice for them. Read more here...
Sheikh Saeed sorry after Olympic disappointment
Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum expressed his disappointment
after failing to make the final of the Olympic skeet shooting
competition and hopes Sheikh Juma bin Dalmook Al Maktoum can have better
luck in double trap qualification.
The UAE flagbearer, who was participating in his fourth Olympics, tried to recover from a bad start to the two-day qualification round on Monday, but was unable to place amongst the top-six to move on to the final.
“I tried hard and I was very well prepared and I came here to compete for the title,” said the 35-year-old shooter. “I had a shotgun and ammunition of the highest quality, but my first round where I scored 21 was really a thorn in my side." Read more here...
Al-Attiyah dedicates 'dream' Olympic medal to all Arabs
Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah hailed his Olympic bronze medal in the men's skeet as a dream come true after becoming the first Arab athlete on the podium in London.
Al-Attiyah, who is also a rally star and won the 2011 Dakar Rally, emerged from a nerve-wracking sudden death shoot-off to bag the Arab world’s first medal in London and Qatar’s first in 12 years.
The 41-year-old, competing in his fifth Olympics, said: “I am so thrilled and happy with this valuable achievement. I have worked hard to reach this milestone." Read more here...
Jaziri and Jabeur add Arab flavor to Wimbledon on day three
Tunisian duo Malek Jaziri and Ons Jabeur both feature in Monday's line-up at Wimbledon as the Olympic tennis tournament enters its third day of action.
Jabeur's opening round against No15 seed Sabine Lisicki was pushed many times on Sunday due to the rain and was eventually postponed to the following day as the 17-year-old Tunisian was serving on game point to lead 5-3 in the first set. Read more here...
UAE coach Benner believes Mubarak is due a breakthrough
UAE swimming coach Jay Benner explained he was satisfied with Mubarak Salem Al Besher’s performance on his Olympics debut assuring the Emirati is on the verge of a “breakthrough” in his upcoming competitions.
Al Besher was eliminated from the 100m breaststroke event after failing to qualify from his heat, clocking 1:05.26, half a second off his personal best, but Benner was proud with how the 24-year-old handled the race.
“I was pleased with how Mubarak competed. He didn't show any fear and got up and raced tough,” said the American coach. “We were looking for a better time, but sometimes it just doesn't play out at the time you want it to happen.”
Al Besher had said he does not enjoy early starts because he often feels “lazy” so early in the morning, but Benner says he did better than expected.
“It was actually the best morning swim he has ever had, but a half second off his best. He was out very strong, but struggled the last 25 metres,” added Benner, who predicts Al Besher is ready to make his mark on regional competitions. He has prepared very well, so I'm confident that he is going to breakthrough in the next competition or two. We have the Arab championships the end of August and the GCC the middle of September. All in all he has approached the Olympics with great focus and I'm very pleased with his effort.”
UAE swimmer Al Besher disappointed with Olympic debut
UAE’s Mubarak Salem Al Besher clocked 1:05.26 in his 100m breaststroke heat on Saturday morning and was unable to advance to the semi-finals.
The 24-year-old Emirati was making his Olympics debut and was looking to record a personal best but his timing was a mere 0.05s off his previous mark.
“I had set myself a goal to clock a new national record but unfortunately I was not able to do that, which is why I’m very disappointed,” said Al Besher. Read more here...
UAE judoka Al Derei bows out of Olympics at hands of Egyptian
UAE’s Humaid Al Derei received a hefty beating in his first contest at the Olympic Games as the young Emirati bowed out of the -66kg competition.
The 21-year-old from Meknas lost to Egypt’s Ahmed Awad, ranked 34 in the world - 110 places higher than Al Derei. Awad, 25, finished off his opponent in 2 minutes 37 seconds with a brilliant Tate-shiho-gatame hold to score an ippon - maximum points - and secure victory. Read more here...
Sheikh Saeed takes aim in skeet qualifiers
HH Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum launches his London 2012 Olympics campaign today with three rounds of qualification in skeet shooting.
The 35-year-old Emirati, who is competing in his fourth consecutive Olympics and was the flag-bearer in Friday night’s opening ceremony, will contest the first round that consists of 25 clay disk targets at 13:00 UAE time at the Royal Artillery Barracks. Read more here...
Teenager Farida Osman: Young in years, high in hopes
Egyptian teenage sensation Farida Osman is still in disbelief over her last-minute call up to the Olympic Games, making her the last entrant from Egypt heading to the Games in London.
The 17 year old swimmer made history for Egypt when she became the first-ever junior world champion from the country when she won the 50m butterfly race in Peru last year.
In the process, she clocked a World Junior Championship record time of 26.69s and cemented her status as a future Olympic champion in the making. She says that medal gave her an incredible boost to reach for more and indeed she went on to win a whopping seven gold medals at the Arab Games in Doha last December, where she set the Olympic Standard Time (OST) in three of her events. Read more here...
Egypt’s hopes lie abroad: The inspiring stories of Mazen Aziz and Hadia El Said
As the old cliché goes – ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way.’
Egyptians Mazen Aziz and Hadia Hosny El Said are just two of many athletes who personify that statement, as they get set out to march with the Egyptian delegation around the Olympic Stadium in London.
Aziz, a 22 year old marathon swimmer from Cairo, is an architecture student at the Southern Illinois University (SIU), which he joined on an athlete’s scholarship seeking better coaching in his sport.
He is one of only two Arabs, the other is Tunisian Oussama El Mellouli, competing in the 10km marathon open water race at the Olympics following years of dreaming about the Games. Read more here...
Showjumper Karim El Zoghby: I've learnt from my mistakes in Beijing
Egyptian show jumper Karim El Zoghby believes he’s doing things the right way this time around as he heads to his second Olympic Games.
The 35-year-old equestrian finished second from the bottom in Beijing four years ago after the horse he was set to compete on was sold by the owner only weeks before the Games, leaving El Zoghby unprepared and forced to mount a different horse. Read more here...
Egypt's top medal contenders in London
Aya Medany (Modern Pentathlon)
Just as four years ago, the young pentathlete carries the weight of a nation’s hopes on her shoulders as she heads to her third Olympics.
At only 23, Medany is considered a veteran in the world of Modern Pentathlon, which combines shooting, fencing, running, swimming and show jumping, to produce what is believed to be the greatest and most versatile athletes on the planet. Read more here...
London games beckon for Egyptian athletes
Egypt is sending its second-largest Olympic team ever to London this week that including 117 athletes in 20 different sports and 25 various disciplines.
After Egypt impressed in Athens 2004 bagging five medals, including wrestler Karam Gaber’s gold medal triumph, that tally dwindled to a sole bronze medal in Beijing 2008, courtesy of the efforts of judoka Hesham Mesbah, who has been given the honor of carrying the Egyptian flag in tomorrow’s opening ceremony. Read more here...
Khadija is a trailblazer and she knows it
Khadija Mohammed’s place at the Olympics is arguably UAE’s most unlikely achievement this summer.
She isn’t just the first Emirati weightlifter to qualify to the Olympics, she is the first one from the entire Gulf region and is the first UAE woman to earn a spot at the Games through qualification rather than through a wildcard. Read more here...
Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum looks to fire UAE to glory
Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum will both literally and figuratively fly the UAE flag in the Olympics.
The 35-year-old shooter, who has been given the honour of carrying the Emirati flag in the opening ceremony on Friday, will be competing in his fourth edition of the Games in the skeet competition. And he is looking to bring home the country’s second gold medal in shooting after Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Hasher Al Maktoum triumphed in double trap in Athens 2004. Read more here...
Ramadan a problem for UAE triple jumper Mohamed Abbas
UAE triple jumper Mohamed Abbas, like thousands of athletes, had a dream of competing at the Olympic Games.
While he’s been seriously training in triple jump only for the past three years, Abbas has done everything from hurdles to pole vault to the 200m sprint and the decathlon, not to mention his early years in football and swimming.
His dreams of the Olympics go back a long way but now its a reality he admits the timing could have been better. Read more here...
Humaid Al Derei Interview: Judo is about honour and Egyptian Mohamed Rashwan is my inspiration
Humaid Al Derei is a man whose Olympic mission in London goes beyond winning and losing.
The 21-year-old UAE judoka is a highly-competitive animal, of course, but he also buys into the sport he loves.
Judo, he says, is all about honour. After early success regionally – he won silver at the Arab Games in Egypt in 2005 – Al Derei set his heart on a career in judo.
Fuelled by a training camp in the Far East, his passion is obvious as explains his approach in the Judo Federation Hall in Abu Dhabi. Read more here...
Nerves jangle for Besher as he gets set for Olympic debut
UAE swimming sensation Mubarak Salem Al Besher concedes that nerves are starting to surface as he heads to London today to participate in his first Olympics – but he’s up for the challenge.
The 24-year-old, who will compete in the 100m breaststroke, has spent the last two months in Europe preparing for the Games and admits the constant travel might have taken its toll on his body a little bit.
“I am a bit nervous of course,” Al Besher told Sport360°. “But I’m used to this. It’s natural that before any competition, you feel a little nervous, but once you’re in the pool you get over it." Read more here...
UAE weightlifting chief calls for more attention as Khadija heads to Games
Sultan bin Mejren, the UAE Weightlifting Federation president, has urged the country’s sports authorities to pay more attention to the sport as young Emirati weightlifter Khadija Mohammed prepares for an historic appeaerance in London.
Mohammed,17, is the first Emirati woman to qualify directly for the Olympics without the need for a wildcard. Her achievement came as a result from a team effort, where she and five other young local heroes won a qualification spot for the UAE at the Asian Championships in Korea last May.
But bin Mejren is concerned that the weightlifting team’s unprecedented feat has gone unnoticed by officials which might hinder further progress in the sport. Read more here...
UAE judoka Humaid Al Derei fights for Olympic dream
UAE judoka Humaid Al Derei says he has had little time to prepare for the Olympics after his “surprise” qualification, having had to battle an eye disease.
The 21-year-old, who will be representing the Emirates in the -66kg category in London, has been suffering with an eye condition that caused extreme sensitivity to light. It has slowed down his training to a mere one session per week up until two months ago. Read more here...
Saudi Arabia sending female athletes to the Games, is positive, but here's hoping it's not just to appease the IOC
After the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially announced that two Saudi Arabian female athletes will be representing the Gulf kingdom at the Games in London for the first time in the country’s history, the word “breakthrough” was quickly placed in headlines worldwide.
Saudi Arabia have competed in eight editions of the Olympics since the Munich Games in 1972 but have never sent women, citing religious and cultural reasons that prevent them from competing.
But following continued pressure from the IOC, the Gulf state has caved and is allowing runner Sarah Attar and judoka Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani to travel with the Saudi contingent.
This is undoubtedly positive news but I’m really hoping it is not just an action taken by Saudi Arabia to appease the IOC and international human rights groups, but also a first step towards a real sporting revolution for Saudi women.
Read more here...
Saudi showjumper Kamal Bahamdan speaks up about teammates misfortunes ahead of Games
Saudi Arabia’s veteran showjumper Kamal Bahamdan is thrilled that his horses are “peaking at the right time” ahead of the Olympics but admits that his team-mates have gone through a rough period in the past few months.
Bahamdan is part of a four-strong Saudi jumping team heading to the Games as he will be joined by 2010 World Equestrian Games silver medallist, Abdullah Al Sharbatly, and former Olympians HRH Prince Abdullah Al Saud and Ramzy Al Duhami.
That lucrative list is missing a notable name in the form of former Olympic Bronze medallist Khaled Al Eid, who together with Sharbatly, was hit with a ban for a failed doping test by their horses.
After the ban was reduced and the pair were cleared for the Games, Al Eid’s horse Presley Boy suffered health problems that ruled him out and the team will have to travel without their star rider. Bahamdan says: “It’s very disappointing of course about Presley Boy. It’s been a long battle, first with the suspension and then you got out of that, then with Presley Boy. It’s very unfortunate..." Read more here...
Tunisian teen Ons Jabeur receives Olympic wildcard in tennis
Teenage sensation and former Roland Garros junior champion Ons Jabeur said she would love to play mixed doubles with fellow Tunisian Malek Jaziri after they both received wild cards into next month’s tennis event at the Olympic Games.
The official list of entries was released by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) earlier on Tuesday, and Jabeur was thrilled to know that Tunisia - the only Arab country represented in tennis - will have two players competing in London.
“I am so happy, I can’t describe my happiness. I am really so excited to play at the Olympics,” said Jabeur. Read more here...
Betlhem Belayneh interview: UAE runner targeting Olympic glory
Over a crackling phone line between Dubai and Addis Ababa, Betlhem Desalegn Belayneh expressed her joy at booking an elusive qualifying spot in next month’s London Olympics, where she will be one of the few women representing the UAE at the Games.
The 20-year-old middle-distance runner had come close to meeting the B-Standard qualifying time in her previous few meets - including one in Dubai last month - but for some odd reason, her competition form had not been as good as her form in training. Read more here...
Mubarak Al Besher interview: Ready to make a splash for the Arab world
I had made the trip down to the massive structure that is the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Sports Complex to catch the UAE swim team practice, and more specifically, the man who is preparing to represent the Emirates at the London 2012 Olympics – Mubarak Salem Al Besher.
The swimmers had been doing two-a-day sessions, two hours each, and despite the time approaching 8pm, Al Besher was still doing his laps with unrelenting focus as one breaststroke followed the other.
The 24-year-old has been training since he was nine years old at the Al Wasl Club, and first flew the UAE flag in competition at age 10, way back in 1998. But Al Besher, together with the sport, have come a long way since then, and the venue at which he trains now says it all.
“We’ve been training at this complex for the past seven months. We got some good results which finally led them to allow us to train here,” says Al Besher, of the state-of-the-art estimated Dh1.1 billion facility.
Read more here...
Sheikh Ahmad interview: UAE's gold medal hero sets his sights on new target
He’s made a permanent mark on Emirati sport and placed the UAE on the global sports map after winning the country’s first-ever Olympic medal with a gold in the double trap event.
Shooting icon Sheikh Ahmad bin Mohammad Bin Hasher Al Maktoum has represented the UAE at the Olympics on three different occasions but was forced to abandon the qualifications for a fourth Games on discovering that he had a heart condition. But Sheikh Ahmad has found a way to keep his legacy alive, taking young shooter Sheikh Juma Bin Dalmook Al Maktoum under his wing and will now travel with him to the Games in London next month as the UAE shooting team’s coach - a role he says he is taking very seriously, even though it may seem more daunting than being a professional shooter.
“At first, when I was an athlete I had a personal responsibility for myself. I took responsibility for my own decisions and my own failures. But now I take responsibility for my decisions as well as the fate of another person, so the responsibility is multiplied now,” says Sheikh Ahmad. Read more here...
Alaryani, who won the UAE’s first and only gold of the fortnight in London when he triumphed in the Mixed R6-50m Rifle Prone-SH1 on Tuesday, was aiming for another golden double at London’s Royal Artillery Barracks.
But a problem with his rifle prevented him from capturing one more medal before wrapping up his Paralympics campaign. Read more here...
UAE sprinter Hammadi not content with Paralympic silver
The 27-year-old from Sharjah finished second behind Tunisia’s Walid Ktila, clocking a seasonal best of 28.95s, but saw the world record he had set earlier in the heats get smashed by the North African minutes later in the following heat.
Hammadi, who trains at the Thiqa Club in Sharjah, had won two gold medals and one silver atthe IPC World Athletics Championship last year, and while he’s proud of his achievement in London, he concedes he really dreamt of landing on top of the podium.
“Thank God for everything of course, but it’s not the timing nor the medal I wanted - I wanted gold,” Hammadi said. Read more here...
Bronze medalist Kamal Bahamdan hoping Saudi's Olympic success can inspire Arab world
The 42-year-old from Riyadh was competing in his fifth Olympics but this time he had set higher goals for himself and was determined to go the distance.
After three solid qualification rounds on his 11-year-old mare Noblesse Des Tess, Bahamdan entered the final two rounds of the individual competition sharp and confident.
He jumped two clear rounds in the final but picked up two time faults which put him one single penalty point behind the Netherlands’ Gerco Schroder and Ireland’s Cian O’Connor, who both had to go through a jump-off to settle the battle for silver.
“I missed out on the bronze by ‘one hair’,” said Bahamdan. Read more here...
London 2012: Egyptian wrestlers out of Olympics after scheduling mix-up
Omar was supposed to face Devid Safaryan of Armenia in the 66kg freestyle while Emara was to face George Gogshelidze of Georgia in the 96kg freestyle.
But the Egyptian pair arrived at the arena several hours late stating they were unaware that the wrestling competition started at 8.30am on Sunday rather than the usual 1pm due to the closing ceremony taking place tonight and were shocked to hear they had lost their matches. Read more here...
Proper planning essential for Arab world's Olympic dreams
While that’s already more than the seven Arab medals won in Beijing four years ago, it is still a small tally coming from 22 different Arab states with a total population that amounts to almost 350 million.
Heavyweights like China and the US have passed the 70-medal mark already and a European nation such as the Netherlands has produced 14 medals so far.
So while those nine medals won by Arabs are praise-worthy, they are also a reason for us to take a closer look as to why the Arab countries are failing. Read more here...
Farida Osman: A whirlwind week for the Egyptian swimming star
She then followed that up with a stunning seven gold medal scoop at the Arab Games in Doha, which coincidentally earned her a $35,000 bonus cheque as the Games’ most successful female contestant. Osman however refused to take the bonus to stay eligible for competing in the NCAA should she go to college in the United States next year.
The 17-year-old Osman is the swimmer Egypt has been waiting for and makes her Olympic debut in the 50m freestyle event on Friday. After achieving the Olympic Standard Time, which earns you a spot based on space availability in the races, she only received a call-up for the Games last week and her life has got infinitely more exciting since then, from hanging out in the Athletes’ Village, to the stunning opening ceremony.
Sport360°'s Reem Abulleil caught up with the teenager to find out more about life at the Village. Read more here...
Faye Sultan: The Kuwaiti swimmer leading a revolution
Standing at almost six-feet-tall, the 17-year-old Faye Sultan is about to make history only two years after returning to the pool, having left the sport for dance a few years back.
After the International Olympic Committee (IOC) lifted a two-year ban to allow Kuwaitis to compete under its own national flag, Sultan is now gearing up for her bid in the 50m freestyle event.
How are you feeling ahead of your Olympic debut?
Right now I’m more excited than anything. The night before my race though, the nerves will probably start kicking in. Read more here...
Khadija Mohammed: An Olympic weightlifter only two years in the making
The 17-year-old Emirati was part of a six-strong weightlifting team that managed to clinch one individual qualifying spot at the London 2012 Olympics, after a surprise performance at the Asian Championships in Korea last May.
It was a team effort that earned the UAE a place in London, but only one girl could go. The weightlifting officials did not want to create a competition between the six lifters to choose the one who would make history for the Gulf. Instead they asked the girls to make the choice for them. Read more here...
Sheikh Saeed sorry after Olympic disappointment
The UAE flagbearer, who was participating in his fourth Olympics, tried to recover from a bad start to the two-day qualification round on Monday, but was unable to place amongst the top-six to move on to the final.
“I tried hard and I was very well prepared and I came here to compete for the title,” said the 35-year-old shooter. “I had a shotgun and ammunition of the highest quality, but my first round where I scored 21 was really a thorn in my side." Read more here...
Al-Attiyah dedicates 'dream' Olympic medal to all Arabs
Al-Attiyah, who is also a rally star and won the 2011 Dakar Rally, emerged from a nerve-wracking sudden death shoot-off to bag the Arab world’s first medal in London and Qatar’s first in 12 years.
The 41-year-old, competing in his fifth Olympics, said: “I am so thrilled and happy with this valuable achievement. I have worked hard to reach this milestone." Read more here...
Jaziri and Jabeur add Arab flavor to Wimbledon on day three
Jabeur's opening round against No15 seed Sabine Lisicki was pushed many times on Sunday due to the rain and was eventually postponed to the following day as the 17-year-old Tunisian was serving on game point to lead 5-3 in the first set. Read more here...
UAE coach Benner believes Mubarak is due a breakthrough
Al Besher was eliminated from the 100m breaststroke event after failing to qualify from his heat, clocking 1:05.26, half a second off his personal best, but Benner was proud with how the 24-year-old handled the race.
“I was pleased with how Mubarak competed. He didn't show any fear and got up and raced tough,” said the American coach. “We were looking for a better time, but sometimes it just doesn't play out at the time you want it to happen.”
Al Besher had said he does not enjoy early starts because he often feels “lazy” so early in the morning, but Benner says he did better than expected.
“It was actually the best morning swim he has ever had, but a half second off his best. He was out very strong, but struggled the last 25 metres,” added Benner, who predicts Al Besher is ready to make his mark on regional competitions. He has prepared very well, so I'm confident that he is going to breakthrough in the next competition or two. We have the Arab championships the end of August and the GCC the middle of September. All in all he has approached the Olympics with great focus and I'm very pleased with his effort.”
UAE swimmer Al Besher disappointed with Olympic debut
The 24-year-old Emirati was making his Olympics debut and was looking to record a personal best but his timing was a mere 0.05s off his previous mark.
“I had set myself a goal to clock a new national record but unfortunately I was not able to do that, which is why I’m very disappointed,” said Al Besher. Read more here...
UAE judoka Al Derei bows out of Olympics at hands of Egyptian
The 21-year-old from Meknas lost to Egypt’s Ahmed Awad, ranked 34 in the world - 110 places higher than Al Derei. Awad, 25, finished off his opponent in 2 minutes 37 seconds with a brilliant Tate-shiho-gatame hold to score an ippon - maximum points - and secure victory. Read more here...
Sheikh Saeed takes aim in skeet qualifiers
The 35-year-old Emirati, who is competing in his fourth consecutive Olympics and was the flag-bearer in Friday night’s opening ceremony, will contest the first round that consists of 25 clay disk targets at 13:00 UAE time at the Royal Artillery Barracks. Read more here...
Teenager Farida Osman: Young in years, high in hopes
The 17 year old swimmer made history for Egypt when she became the first-ever junior world champion from the country when she won the 50m butterfly race in Peru last year.
In the process, she clocked a World Junior Championship record time of 26.69s and cemented her status as a future Olympic champion in the making. She says that medal gave her an incredible boost to reach for more and indeed she went on to win a whopping seven gold medals at the Arab Games in Doha last December, where she set the Olympic Standard Time (OST) in three of her events. Read more here...
Egypt’s hopes lie abroad: The inspiring stories of Mazen Aziz and Hadia El Said
Egyptians Mazen Aziz and Hadia Hosny El Said are just two of many athletes who personify that statement, as they get set out to march with the Egyptian delegation around the Olympic Stadium in London.
Aziz, a 22 year old marathon swimmer from Cairo, is an architecture student at the Southern Illinois University (SIU), which he joined on an athlete’s scholarship seeking better coaching in his sport.
He is one of only two Arabs, the other is Tunisian Oussama El Mellouli, competing in the 10km marathon open water race at the Olympics following years of dreaming about the Games. Read more here...
Showjumper Karim El Zoghby: I've learnt from my mistakes in Beijing
The 35-year-old equestrian finished second from the bottom in Beijing four years ago after the horse he was set to compete on was sold by the owner only weeks before the Games, leaving El Zoghby unprepared and forced to mount a different horse. Read more here...
Egypt's top medal contenders in London
Aya Medany (Modern Pentathlon)
At only 23, Medany is considered a veteran in the world of Modern Pentathlon, which combines shooting, fencing, running, swimming and show jumping, to produce what is believed to be the greatest and most versatile athletes on the planet. Read more here...
London games beckon for Egyptian athletes
After Egypt impressed in Athens 2004 bagging five medals, including wrestler Karam Gaber’s gold medal triumph, that tally dwindled to a sole bronze medal in Beijing 2008, courtesy of the efforts of judoka Hesham Mesbah, who has been given the honor of carrying the Egyptian flag in tomorrow’s opening ceremony. Read more here...
Khadija is a trailblazer and she knows it
She isn’t just the first Emirati weightlifter to qualify to the Olympics, she is the first one from the entire Gulf region and is the first UAE woman to earn a spot at the Games through qualification rather than through a wildcard. Read more here...
Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum looks to fire UAE to glory
The 35-year-old shooter, who has been given the honour of carrying the Emirati flag in the opening ceremony on Friday, will be competing in his fourth edition of the Games in the skeet competition. And he is looking to bring home the country’s second gold medal in shooting after Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Hasher Al Maktoum triumphed in double trap in Athens 2004. Read more here...
Ramadan a problem for UAE triple jumper Mohamed Abbas
While he’s been seriously training in triple jump only for the past three years, Abbas has done everything from hurdles to pole vault to the 200m sprint and the decathlon, not to mention his early years in football and swimming.
His dreams of the Olympics go back a long way but now its a reality he admits the timing could have been better. Read more here...
Humaid Al Derei Interview: Judo is about honour and Egyptian Mohamed Rashwan is my inspiration
The 21-year-old UAE judoka is a highly-competitive animal, of course, but he also buys into the sport he loves.
Judo, he says, is all about honour. After early success regionally – he won silver at the Arab Games in Egypt in 2005 – Al Derei set his heart on a career in judo.
Fuelled by a training camp in the Far East, his passion is obvious as explains his approach in the Judo Federation Hall in Abu Dhabi. Read more here...
Nerves jangle for Besher as he gets set for Olympic debut
The 24-year-old, who will compete in the 100m breaststroke, has spent the last two months in Europe preparing for the Games and admits the constant travel might have taken its toll on his body a little bit.
“I am a bit nervous of course,” Al Besher told Sport360°. “But I’m used to this. It’s natural that before any competition, you feel a little nervous, but once you’re in the pool you get over it." Read more here...
UAE weightlifting chief calls for more attention as Khadija heads to Games
Mohammed,17, is the first Emirati woman to qualify directly for the Olympics without the need for a wildcard. Her achievement came as a result from a team effort, where she and five other young local heroes won a qualification spot for the UAE at the Asian Championships in Korea last May.
But bin Mejren is concerned that the weightlifting team’s unprecedented feat has gone unnoticed by officials which might hinder further progress in the sport. Read more here...
UAE judoka Humaid Al Derei fights for Olympic dream
The 21-year-old, who will be representing the Emirates in the -66kg category in London, has been suffering with an eye condition that caused extreme sensitivity to light. It has slowed down his training to a mere one session per week up until two months ago. Read more here...
Saudi Arabia sending female athletes to the Games, is positive, but here's hoping it's not just to appease the IOC
Saudi showjumper Kamal Bahamdan speaks up about teammates misfortunes ahead of Games
Saudi Arabia’s veteran showjumper Kamal Bahamdan is thrilled that his horses are “peaking at the right time” ahead of the Olympics but admits that his team-mates have gone through a rough period in the past few months.Bahamdan is part of a four-strong Saudi jumping team heading to the Games as he will be joined by 2010 World Equestrian Games silver medallist, Abdullah Al Sharbatly, and former Olympians HRH Prince Abdullah Al Saud and Ramzy Al Duhami.
That lucrative list is missing a notable name in the form of former Olympic Bronze medallist Khaled Al Eid, who together with Sharbatly, was hit with a ban for a failed doping test by their horses.
After the ban was reduced and the pair were cleared for the Games, Al Eid’s horse Presley Boy suffered health problems that ruled him out and the team will have to travel without their star rider. Bahamdan says: “It’s very disappointing of course about Presley Boy. It’s been a long battle, first with the suspension and then you got out of that, then with Presley Boy. It’s very unfortunate..." Read more here...
Tunisian teen Ons Jabeur receives Olympic wildcard in tennis
Teenage sensation and former Roland Garros junior champion Ons Jabeur said she would love to play mixed doubles with fellow Tunisian Malek Jaziri after they both received wild cards into next month’s tennis event at the Olympic Games.The official list of entries was released by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) earlier on Tuesday, and Jabeur was thrilled to know that Tunisia - the only Arab country represented in tennis - will have two players competing in London.
“I am so happy, I can’t describe my happiness. I am really so excited to play at the Olympics,” said Jabeur. Read more here...
Betlhem Belayneh interview: UAE runner targeting Olympic glory
Over a crackling phone line between Dubai and Addis Ababa, Betlhem Desalegn Belayneh expressed her joy at booking an elusive qualifying spot in next month’s London Olympics, where she will be one of the few women representing the UAE at the Games.The 20-year-old middle-distance runner had come close to meeting the B-Standard qualifying time in her previous few meets - including one in Dubai last month - but for some odd reason, her competition form had not been as good as her form in training. Read more here...
Mubarak Al Besher interview: Ready to make a splash for the Arab world
I had made the trip down to the massive structure that is the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Sports Complex to catch the UAE swim team practice, and more specifically, the man who is preparing to represent the Emirates at the London 2012 Olympics – Mubarak Salem Al Besher.The swimmers had been doing two-a-day sessions, two hours each, and despite the time approaching 8pm, Al Besher was still doing his laps with unrelenting focus as one breaststroke followed the other.
The 24-year-old has been training since he was nine years old at the Al Wasl Club, and first flew the UAE flag in competition at age 10, way back in 1998. But Al Besher, together with the sport, have come a long way since then, and the venue at which he trains now says it all.
“We’ve been training at this complex for the past seven months. We got some good results which finally led them to allow us to train here,” says Al Besher, of the state-of-the-art estimated Dh1.1 billion facility.
Read more here...
Sheikh Ahmad interview: UAE's gold medal hero sets his sights on new target
He’s made a permanent mark on Emirati sport and placed the UAE on the global sports map after winning the country’s first-ever Olympic medal with a gold in the double trap event.Shooting icon Sheikh Ahmad bin Mohammad Bin Hasher Al Maktoum has represented the UAE at the Olympics on three different occasions but was forced to abandon the qualifications for a fourth Games on discovering that he had a heart condition. But Sheikh Ahmad has found a way to keep his legacy alive, taking young shooter Sheikh Juma Bin Dalmook Al Maktoum under his wing and will now travel with him to the Games in London next month as the UAE shooting team’s coach - a role he says he is taking very seriously, even though it may seem more daunting than being a professional shooter.
“At first, when I was an athlete I had a personal responsibility for myself. I took responsibility for my own decisions and my own failures. But now I take responsibility for my decisions as well as the fate of another person, so the responsibility is multiplied now,” says Sheikh Ahmad. Read more here...
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