From a postage stamp in distant Azerbaijan to a subway station bearing his name at the 2012 London Olympic Games. That’s the influence of a legend named Saeed Aouita, one of the greatest distance runners of modern track and field. The Moroccan champion, now 56, serves on the specialist panel of experts appointed two years back by the UAE National Olympic Committee (UAE NOC) in an attempt to search for a new generation of top-class sportspersons who will bring glory to the UAE in the future. Last week marked the conclusion of the fourth edition of the UAE School Olympic Games in Abu Dhabi and as the specialist for track and field, Aouita was there sifting through a talented group of youngsters who could possibly fulfill the UAE’s Olympic ambitions at least by Tokyo 2020. The seven-time former world record holder took time off to throw some light on the UAE School Olympic Games.
GULF NEWS: What are your reflections after yet another edition of the UAE School Olympic Games?
SAEED AOUITA: I think this year’s results have made me very happy. I think that from the past three years, we have had the most technically perfect results this time. At the end of just two days of track and field competition, we were in a position to easily identify between 15-16 talented youngsters who I believe can make a difference and go a long way as top-class athletes. When I say performance I am speaking about athletes in the under-12 and under-14 age groups who can be compared to athletics nations such as those in Australia or in the US. For instance, a boy in the under-14 category did the 100mts in a time of 11.35 seconds. That’s an amazing feat for this age. This boy has the potential and we need to involve him in a process that will help him develop and grow.
Q. So what would be the way forward from here?
A. I think we need to urgently re-think the dynamics of the UAE School Olympic Games. We have to think how these youngsters can get more opportunities and exposure to compete throughout the year instead of just once a year. I think we need to think seriously on a new schedule that will have these youngsters involved in at least five competitions during the season. These competitions will help coaches and trainers correct the mistakes being made by the athletes and set them up on a steady growth path in track and field. We need to remember that people are not scared of competitions and performances, but they use these as inspirational grounds to develop further.
Q. What more can be done to raise the bar?
A. We need good planning and good communication between the UAE NOC and the various Government departments involved. Next, we need teachers and coaches to all go through upgrades and refresher courses in their field of specialization so that they are updated and better equipped to correct mistakes committed by the athletes.
Q. If given a chance, what sort of schedule would be ideal in your eyes for the development of these youngsters?
A. Firstly, we should not have any sort of activity for these athletes here during the summer months. We should use the summer to get them trained outside the country or have them involved at international competitions and meets out of the UAE. The ideal thing would be at least one competition per month as that is how successful school development programmes work all over the world. In the UAE, we have just one competition in a year and we stumble upon 15 to 16 talented youngsters. Just imagine if we have five competitions! We could easily have 50 to 60 kids coming through. Remember that talent all over the world comes from school development programmes. That’s what happens in the USA or in Australia. Considering our conditions here, I would suggest a start in September and the season-finale in May just before schools close for the academic year.
Q. In case such a programme does take shape, then what sort of time frame would you look at?
A. In sport a major factor is patience. Any programme of this nature would easily need between four to eight years to peak. Athletes who are already developed would need at least four years, while those who are tapped in the 10 to 12 years stage would need at least eight years. If we follow this path we can easily have top-level athletes by the time they are 21. But we need to start now without wasting any more time.
Q. What sort of importance do schools hold for the successful rearing of athletes or sportspersons?
A. Firstly, young kids don’t have a place to train. The only opportunity they would get to train and pursue their sport would be while they are in school. So our emphasis here should be to develop all these ideas and keep the development programme alive. At the same time we need to keep them in training and competitions. There is always the danger that at that particular age, youngsters may tend to switch sports and start playing football for instance. But I honestly believe that if the young ones are given the opportunity to stay in athletics, then they will. All we need is a development programme that will retain them in the sport and we can achieve our Olympic dream.
