Incheon, South Korea: The head of UAE athletics is hoping his slender squad of just four can deliver on their potential as they begin the track and field competitions of the 2014 Asian Games here on Saturday.

The UAE Athletics Association (UAE AA) has brought to Incheon the experienced women’s distance running duo of Alia Mohammad Saeed and Bethlhem Desalegn, along with middle distance runner Saud Abdul Karim and discus thrower Saber Bayaha. Earlier this month, UAE AA President Ahmad Al Kamali, who is also an IAAF council member, called for nothing less than three medals from the quartet.

On Saturday’s opening day of track and field competition, Saeed will be first in action in the women’s 10,000-metre final at 7.30pm (2.30pm UAE), followed by Abdul Karim in the men’s 400-metre heats at 9pm.

Desalegn will be the third UAE athlete to compete as she participates in the women’s 3,000-metre steeplechase final — the final event of the evening at 10.05pm.

Bayaha will participate in the men’s discus on Tuesday.

Desalegn will be the busiest of the four as she is also due to participate in the women’s 800, 1,500 and 5,000 metres over the next week.

“We have done our preparations well before coming to Incheon and all our athletes are in top condition. It is now time for them to go out and give their best on the track. Competition is going to be tough this time as there are many out there to challenge our athletes,” Al Kamali told Gulf News.

“Alia and Betty [Desalegn] are experienced athletes after participating in so many international competitions in the past four years. They also have the experience of being at the last Asian Games. So there is going to be no stage fright for them. They just need to go out there and perform.

“We have our expectations from these athletes. In the discus throw and 400 metres they have no choice but make it to the finals at least. After that, let us now wait and see how the other two perform on the big stage.”

Athletics delivered one of the five medals the UAE won at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, as sprinter Omar Juma Sulfa clinched bronze while setting a new UAE national record in the men’s 200 metres in an event he was tipped to win with ease.