Dubai: One of the top officials of the UAE National Olympic Committee (UAE NOC) has expressed confidence that the UAE will put up a much better performance at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, next year.
The UAE finished with four silver medals and a bronze at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, with Shaikha Latifa Bint Ahmad Al Maktoum — appointed the goodwill ambassador for the Incheon Games earlier this week — landing a team silver and an individual silver in showjumping. The men’s football team also took a silver, while Shaikh Juma Bin Dalmouk Al Maktoum finished second in the men’s double trap, and Omar Juma Al Sulfa claimed a historic bronze medal in the men’s 200 metres sprint last time round.
Mohammad Al Kamali, general secretary, UAE NOC, spoke to Gulf News about the preparations underway for an improved showing next year. “Since then [16th Asian Games], we’ve had four years to prepare for the next Asian Games. All associations and federations know very well what is required and we expect them to deliver a much better performance in time for the Incheon Games,” he said.
During the past three years, the UAE NOC and the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare (GAYSW) have been working closely to turn the focus more on individual sports as compared to team sports. The inaugural UAE School Olympic Games marked a step in this direction besides the launching of the youth development programme earlier this season by the UAE Athletics Federation (UAE AF).
In the inaugural year of the season-ending President’s Cup for juniors, Al Nasr Club finished well on top with 159 points. Al Wasl came second with 77 points and Emirates Club with 69 points.
“Such youth development programmes can only help us reach long-term goals of having individual talent that will be in a position to represent the UAE at the highest level,” Al Kamali said.
Following a study carried out by an independent consultancy, due attention is being paid to individual sports such as shooting, archery, fencing, sailing and rowing. “These are new challenges for us all. We need to rise up and ensure these youngsters who are involved in the programme get the due motivation to compete at the highest level,” he said.
“Al Nasr have done well to win the inaugural edition of the President’s Cup for juniors. I hope we can have some more clubs initiating similar programmes so as to secure our future in various sports,” he added.
