Dubai: The UAE expects to be severely handicapped by the absence of at least six players from its handball squad in Saudi Arabia for the second GCC Games in Dammam this week.
The UAE will be without Saeed Rashid, Khamis Al Suwaidi and Eisa Al Bannai due to injuries, while Ahmad Hilal, Juma Obaid and Abdul Rahman Al Zaabi could not make the trip to Dammam due to work commitments.
“Playing without six of our main players can be quite a handicap, but this is the situation we are in at the moment and we need to give our best and ensure we stay on track for a podium finish,” UAE captain Walid Ebrahim told media on Wednesday.
“We have had a good preparation for these important games with an eight-day intensive training camp in Qatar followed by a three-week in-house camp in Dubai. And then suddenly we lost six of our players.”
Earlier, the Games were inaugurated by King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud in the presence of Prince Saud Bin Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Governor of the Eastern Province, at the opening ceremony at the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam late on Wednesday.
“These Games are meant to foster brotherhood and fraternity among Gulf nations and we are pleased to use this as a platform to further raise this level,” Abdul Rahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Vice-President and Chairman of the UAE NOC Executive Council, said.
