Dubai
The UAE’s lone Olympic gold medallist is banking on teamwork, dedication and focus to reap the rewards as the country continues its search for international-level athletes.
“This is not a job just for Shaikh Ahmad. This is a job for the entire team to work together in the interest of the UAE. Success cannot be assured overnight. It needs a lot of patience, dedication and steady focus,” Shaikh Ahmad Hasher Al Maktoum, the 2004 Athens double trap gold medallist told Gulf News at the formal launch of the NAS Shooting Team.
A little over a month ago, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman, Dubai Sports Council (DSC) gave his formal accent to the setting up of the Nad Al Sheba (NAS) Shooting Club that has been entrusted with the pruning of shooting talent in the UAE.
Coming under the direct supervision of the UAE Shooting Association (UAE SA), the new club has Shaikh Ahmad as its President, while champion UAE shooter Hamad Bin Mejren is the vice president.
Since the announcement, Shaikh Ahmad has been working with his core team in finalising the basic infrastructure to be adhered to in recruiting aspiring youngsters who will be champion shooters in the future.
And among its first tasks is the establishment of a shooting academy while also visiting schools and clubs in search of fresh faces. “Our aim is to start with seven-year-olds. It is normal practice to have kids starting their careers when they are 12 or 13 years old. I think it’s a bit too late to start tapping talent,” he observed.
Another fresh initiative is that Shaikh Ahmad and his team will involve the parents of the kids so that they understand the spirit of the project. “200 parents means we would get access to 200 families. That way not only do we get direct access we also set this idea of involvement between everyone concerned,” Shaikh Ahmad explained.
“In addition, we have an understanding with the Ministry of Education, the UAE National Olympic Committee (UAE NOC) and the UAE School Olympics. We want everyone to be involved as such a project can only be successful only if everyone is involved,” he stressed.
Asked if the UAE may have lost an entire generation of possible shooting champions considering that not much had been done to cash in on his Olympic success in 2004, Shaikh Ahmad said: “It’s time to forget the past. We have a future before us and we all need to put our heads together and get this club taking off successfully,” Shaikh Ahmad noted.
After winning the UAE’s only gold medal at an Olympic Games, Shaikh Ahmad trained Great Britain’s Peter Wilson to the double trap gold at last year’s London Olympics. “What I have is experience, not just in shooting but in training a top-level shooter. I will be a hands-on coach to a select band of young shooters who can be hand-picked only after four or five years of being in the team,” he said.
“And the best part of this project will be that it will be open to boys and girls. This club is for the UAE as I believe we have everything that is needed to have more international champions. It is now just a question of time,” he added.
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