The UAE formed its National Olympic Committee in 1979 — which was recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 1980 — and has competed in seven Summer Olympic Games, winning its first medal at Athens 2004. The country has been producing a number of winners and recent years have seen some spectacular success stories. Ahead of summer’s Rio de Janeiro 2016, GN Focus showcases Emirati sports stars who are most likely to grab a share of the limelight. And we have a Winter Olympics hopeful as well.
Saif Khalifa Bin Futais, 33
Double trap shooter
In 2013, Saif Khalifa Bin Futais (above) won a bronze at the World Cup in Mexico, the first for the UAE national team after amendments were made to the rules of the game. This came on the heels of his three consecutive silvers at Asian and Arab tournaments. In May, The Executive Office of the UAE National Olympic Committee congratulated Futais on qualifying to the Olympics and announced that an intensive programme is under way to prepare him.
Shaikh Juma Bin Dalmouk Al Maktoum, 31
Double trap shooter
In September 2014, Shaikh Juma Bin Dalmouk Al Maktoum won a bronze medal for the UAE in the double trap at the Asian Games in South Korea, adding to the silver medal he won in Guangzhou four years ago. At London 2012, he was a debutante and one of the UAE’s three Olympic shooters.
Alia Saeed Mohammad, 24
Athletics, middle distance runner
In September 2014, Alia Saeed Mohammed (pictured) took more than 40 seconds off her own 10,000 metre national record, clocking 31:51.86 to become the first athletics gold medallist at the Asian Games in Inchon. She also made history by winning the UAE’s first athletics gold medal, and then topped it up this year by winning another gold at the Asian Athletics Championships. Born Medina Kadir in Ethiopia, Alia switched allegiance to the UAE in 2010. Cheered warmly under her new national banner, she is expected to go the distance in Rio.
Shaikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 38
Skeet shooter
One of the UAE’s most illustrious sportsmen, Shaikh Saeed has participated in the Asian Shooting Championships and Asian Games in 2006, the Pan-Arab Games in 2006, and the Arab Shooting Championship in 2010. He won gold at two events in 2011: the ISSF World Cup finals held in the UAE, and the Pan-Arab Games in Qatar. Shaikh Saeed has represented the UAE in skeet shooting at the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and the next one should be a lark for him.
Betlhem Desalegn, 24
Athletics, middle distance runner
In July 2013, on the final day of the 20th Asian Athletics Championships held in Pune, India, Betlhem Desalegn rewrote the championship record in the women’s 5,000 metres on her way to a golden double. Two days earlier, she had also claimed the 1,500-metre gold. The Ethiopian-born Emirati has run twice this year in Stockholm and Heusden-Zolder below 4:26, the Olympic qualifying time for the 1,500 metres. After competing in London 2012 in the women’s 1,500 metres, there is no reason she should not return to the games and grab a crown.
Mubarak Al Besher, 27
Swimmer
In August, Mubarak Al Besher (opposite page, above) was eliminated from the heats of the World Swimming Championships after finishing last in the 100 metres breaststroke, but he has considerable experience competing against some of the biggest names in the sport. His best was clocking 1:04 and coming in fourth place at the 2011 Arab Games in Doha. After finishing 42nd in the heats at London 2012, the UAE national team member is likely to take to the Olympics waters for a second time in Rio.
Adil Khalid, 27
Sailor
Earlier this year, the Dubai-born sailor was part of the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team that brought home the Volvo Ocean Race trophy. With it, he became the first Arab sailor to take part in the Volvo Ocean Race and win it. Adil (pictured above) is also the first Arab to have sailed around the world, a feat he accomplished when he was just 22. He has already represented the UAE in the laser class at Beijing 2008 and is revving up for Rio 2016.
“It was such a great feeling to win the title as it reminded me of how I felt when I represented the UAE in the Beijing Olympics,” said Khalid, while describing his big Volvo win in June to Gulf News.
Fatima Al Hosani, 15
Discus thrower
In May this year, Fatima Al Hosani bagged silver with her throw of 41.80 metres in the girls’ discus throw at the maiden Asian Youth Championships in Qatar. About a month later, she claimed silver at the Arab Junior Athletics Championships in Tunisia. The UAE’s only discus thrower is expected to bank on her experience at the Nanjing Youth Olympics last year and boost her prospects for next summer. “I am dreaming of big things. I want to go to the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the Asian Games and prove that I am good enough for the big stage,” said Fatima while speaking to Gulf News earlier this year.
Amna Al Haddad, 25
Weightlifter
The Emirati competitive weightlifter, Amna (below) picked up the sport quite late — at the age of 17 — compared to seasoned weightlifters who get familiar with technical movements at a much younger age. She is now hard at work developing a reliable, comfortable technique. “A lot of weightlifters who start young, you can teach and mould them: I started late. So now I’m getting the correct technique,” she said while speaking to Gulf News in 2013. Among the UAE’s most promising young athletes, Amna hopes to represent her country at the Olympics next year.
Zahra Lari, 20
Figure skater
The first-ever female figure skater to enter an international competition wearing a hijab, Zahra (pictured above) started skating when she was aged 12, and has made significant achievements in the rink since including scooping the Fatima Bint Mubarak Academy Trophy at Zayed Sports City earlier this year, the first International Skating Union competition in the UAE. She now has her sights set on the Winter Olympics in South Korea in 2018. “It was kind of weird watching figure skating [at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014]. I had mixed feelings thinking I might be there in the next Olympics in Pyeongchang [South Korea] in 2018,” she told Gulf News last year.
