Dubai: The board of directors of the UAE Triathlon Federation (UAE TF) will be eyeing a move into unchartered territory while tapping talent at university and school level.
The board of directors met under the chairmanship of Ahmad Ali Al Haj earlier this week and decided that a comparatively new sport like triathlon can only survive if there is a push for talent at the grassroots level throughout the country.
“We need to look at talent that will sustain the sport of triathlon in the UAE. We have to start somewhere, and we feel that there can be no better choice than finding new triathletes in schools, universities and other institutions in the UAE. This is the plan of action for the moment and we are deliberating the right way to go about with the task at hand,” Al Haj told media after the meeting.
The UAE TF has already hosted an ITU Level 1 Coaching Course at the Dubai Police Officers Club in the first week of May with an eye to getting more training staff involved in grassroots level training when schools reopen after summer.
“Secondly, we need all like-minded people to come aboard and see how they can assist in pushing this sport forward. We are open to the idea of having a common forum wherein we can interact with bodies organising triathlons in the UAE. It is that time when we need to all put our minds together with the sole aim of taking our sport in the right direction,” he added.
The UAE TF official, who was heading the meeting in place of Chairman Khalid Abdul Karim Al Fahim, further insisted that hand-picked coaches and training staff will move into the schools and universities after the summer break to identify and then train youngsters. “We need to work on a two-pronged strategy at the moment. We need to have an infrastructure in place first, and at the same time we need the triathletes who can be regular participants at domestic competitions. We will then identify those showing promise and form a database, after which we will ensure they receive specialised training with an eye on the future,” Al Haj added.
Triathlon racing in the UAE received a huge boost following the successful hosting of the third edition of the ITU World Triathlon in Abu Dhabi in March. The race, held on the iconic Yas Island as the season opener of the World Triathlon Series, saw seven-time world champion Javier Gomez and world number one Andrea Hewitt crowned champions in the men’s and women’s categories.
“The presence of such high-class triathletes can only be a huge motivation for youngsters as they get the opportunity to watch them in action and even compete with them. While on the one hand we will continue organising such competitions, we will also ensure we do enough to give competition opportunities at the lower level,” Al Haj said.
Meanwhile, Abdullah Al Amlah Al Falasi, Abdullah Hussain Farhan and Faris Al Za’abi will represent the UAE at the 2017 Astana ASTC Sprint Triathlon Asian Cup and Central Asian Championships to be held in Kazakhstan July 29-30.
Fact box
The Committee
Chairman: Khalid Abdul Karim Al Fahim
Deputy Chairman: Ahmad Ali Al Haj
General Secretary: Abdul Malik Mohammad Al Jani
Members: Ahmad Nasser Al Shamsi; Asma Yousuf Al Janahi; Hamad Mubarak Al Harthy; Amer Qasim Al Ameri
