Experience key to UAE prospects

Doha: The Asian Games may be the biggest international event in the region, but for the UAE's fledgling swimming team, it has not offered the depth of experience that it could have.

Obaid Al Jesmi, 24, and Salem Mubarak, 19, were the only swimmers to make the trip to Doha.

Coach Greg Hodge always knew that his part-time athletes would fail to cause problems for swimming powerhouses China, Japan and Korea, but he saw the Asian Games as an excellent chance for developing countries to gain valuable big-competition experience. But he said he was disappointed with the way events in the pool here were organised.

"When you look at most of the events, especially the 50-metre and 100-metre freestyle heats, there has been maybe 40 to 50 swimmers in the competition who were whittled down to a top 16.

"There is no B final here at the Asian Games, which leaves the rest of the competitors facing the end of their competition."

It was not all bad news for the UAE, though. Al Jesmi's time of 53.94 seconds in the 100-metre freestyle was the only time he ever come up with a sub-54 second timing.

"He swam a technically perfect race," said Hodge. "He just lost his legs with about 25 metres to go."

The duo will next compete at the World Championships in Melbourne in March.