IOC nod for powerboating a result of hard work, says Hareb

Dubai: One of the top officials from the UAE Marine Sports Federation (UAEMSF) has welcomed the formal endorsement for powerboat by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as "a just reward for the hard work being put in" by all concerned.

"There are many people all over the world who have been working tirelessly to promote powerboating and the endorsement from the IOC is most probably the best news we have heard for a long time in our sport," Saeed Hareb, President, UAEMSF and Managing Director, Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) told Gulf News.

on Friday, the IOC endorsed cricket, sports climbing and power boating as recognised sports, the first step toward eligibility for inclusion at the 2020 Summer Games.

"This is a very big step for the sport of powerboating. We have always strived hard to be innovative in our sport while hosting two rounds on the UIM WPPA World Powerboat Championship. And now that the IOC has given the sport this recognition means we have been doing something right for a very long time. This is well deserved," Hareb stated.

The official further reiterated that the entire watersports community stands to benefit from an initiative of this nature. "The drivers will benefit and I can see the popularity of this sport rising in the next few years," Hareb predicted.

The DIMC chief was all praise for world governing body for watersports, the UIM led by Rafaello Chiulli. "He [Chiulli] has always made it a point to keep our sport in focus before the IOC," Hareb said.

"This has been a team effort and we will reap a lot of fruit as we walk the road," he added.