Sheikh Hazza pulls out

Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that he retired because of his horse, Johnhemar Al Dalul, saying that the horse was taking part for the first time in an endurance ride. He opted to use this horse and keep the earlier horse that he rode to win second place last year for Zayed Challenge Endurance Ride.

"The nature of the race track was very difficult and I believe that about 50 per cent of the riders will have to retire. It needs horses accustomed to rocky and sandy tracks," Sheikh Hazza said.

Sheikh Hazza praised the organisation of the event. "But I prefer the race track of last year. It was easier for the horses."

Sheikh Hazza had to talk about football and Al Ain club as journalists asked him about his comments about his team's last 5-3 league victory over traditional rivals Al Wahda last week.

"I am pleased with the result and I also believe that we, in Al Ain, were a bit luckier to win the match after trailing twice 0-1 and 2-3," Sheikh Hazza said.

"The victory is an outcome of many behind-the-scenes efforts for this season which we think will be very strong with many clubs showing great improvement like Al Wahda, Ahli, Al Jazira and other clubs who will compete for the title.

"We are undergoing an improvement phase which include fields of marketing, administration, organisation and basis of football teams," Sheikh Hazza added.

Regarding the club's two foreign players, Abu Bakr Sango and Saeed Kharazi, Sheikh Hazza said, "We did not go for famous old players but opted for young talented players who can continue with the team.

"Our two players are younger than 20 years each and we regard them as an investment for the future because after improving their standards with their national colleagues we can sell them for a big profit.

"Our attention is basically on the improvement of the national players who already have benefited from foreign players. The high standards of the league this season is because of the high standards of most foreign players," Sheikh Hazza added.

Asked about the third foreign players which Al Ain should sign to take part with the team in the Asian Clubs Championship, Sheikh Hazza said, "we are thinking of bringing a player from Latin America on loan basis because at the time of the Asian Championship the league in South America enters its break and because we need the player only for the Asian Championship we do not have to sign a long contract and we prefer an on-loan player," Sheikh Hazza concluded.