Sport | Other Sports
Speedy Thani takes first place
Thani Al Qamzy, UAE's ace driver, won the Doha Grand Prix for Formula II powerboats, the first round of the President's Cup.
- By Yasir Abbasher, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:33 January 26, 2008
- Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News
- UAE power boat driver Thani Al Qamzy won the Doha Grand Prix for Formula II powerboats race.
Abu Dhabi: Thani Al Qamzy, UAE's ace driver, won the Doha Grand Prix for Formula II powerboats, the first round of the President's Cup.
The UAE's drivers dominated the podium as Ahmad Al Hamli came second and Frenchman Phillipe Toure third.
Al Qamzy and Al Hamly are teammates of the Emirates Formula One Powerboats Team which won the UIM World Championship Teams title last year with Al Hamly shining after replacing former champion and coach of the team, American Scott Gillman, who retired midway through the season following medical advice after suffering from heart pains.
Al Qamzy overcame tough competition from 15 boats representing the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Finland, Sweden, Portugal and South Africa and especially from his countryman Al Hamly who led in all the laps, but because he started just a second before the official start signal, one lap was deducted from him and he finished second.
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UAE drivers Majid Al Mansouri finished fifth and Rashid Al Tayer came 10th.
Al Qamzy told Gulf News, "I am happy to have won the first round of the President's Cup because it is a dear event to us in the UAE as it bears the name of our president and it was the brainchild of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club in which we grew up and gained experience.
"It is some way of trying to repay their kind support."
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