Lamia Tariq Malallah Al Farsi strikes gymnastics gold in Tashkent

Dubai: The UAE’s Lamia Tariq Malallah Al Farsi has once again dazzled on the international stage with a gold medal at the International Rhythmic Gymnastics Youth Cup that concluded in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, late on Sunday.

Held at Tashkent’s Youth Union Sport Centre, Lamia topped the A category for junior girls with a total of 21.8 points to take the gold. The seven-year-old student from The International School Choueifat bagged 12.7 points in the freehand routine and another 9.10 points in the hoop apparatus routine to end on the top of the podium yet another time.

Alexsandra Klishina from the Almaty RG Club took the silver, while Samira Yuldasheva from the YUSC Club clinched bronze.

“Yet another medal means just another step towards my long-term dream of representing and winning a gold medal for the UAE at the Olympic Games,” Lamia told Gulf News before heading to the airport in Tashkent.

“My one hope is that we may have more young people take up to this sport. I train hard, and during the run-up to this competition I used to put in six hours of practice every day without a break. I hope I can inspire some more young people to take up this sport.”

Lamia’s story into the world of rhythmic gymnastics has been well documented since she made her debut under the watchful eyes of coach Ksenia Dzalaghaniya with a gold medal at the inaugural Dubai International Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships held at the Al Habtoor Indoor Complex in 2017.

After that, she has gone on to win gold medals at the 2017 Open GR Azur International in Nice, France, and the 2018 Armonia Cup in Thessaloniki, Greece. She had also claimed silver at the 2017 Winter Cup in Leverkusen, Germany, followed by a bronze at the prestigious Novogorsk Winter Cup in Moscow at the end of 2018.

More recently, Lamia became the youngest Emirati and only gymnast to win the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Award for Creative Sports.

Leading up to the competition in Tashkent was no easy task as Lamia had to skip her Grade 2 final exams. But the school has allowed her to take her tests upon her return on Tuesday. “In the end, it is really worth all the hard work and sacrifice,” Lamia’s mum Malak said.

“She was training six hours every day of the week leading up to this competition. In addition, we were not sure what to expect as Lamia was competing in a high category. We can now take things a bit easy until the next one comes along.”

Standings:
1. Lamia Tariq Malallah Al Farsi (UAE) 21.8 points
2. Alexsandra Klishina (Almaty RG Club) 21.33. Samira Yuldasheva (YUSC Club) 20.8