Dubai: Adnan Al Abbar has decided he will listen to no further excuses in the future.
As the Senior Vice President at DP World Group Planning and Project Management, Al Abbar feels he has now provided every citizen of the UAE with an opportunity to excel in his or her chosen sport through the future launch of the Michael Johnson Performance (MJP) at Mina Rashid.
Now, he needs to see the efforts bear fruit.
“Too often in the past, we have consoled ourselves with the thought of ‘at least we have reached this level’. I think we have had too much of this mediocrity in sport. The time has come for the UAE and its citizens to excel and reach their potential,” Al Abbar told Gulf News.
“What we need is more Shaikh Ahmads coming through our sporting system. Everyone in the country was so happy when Shaikh Ahmad Hasher Al Maktoum won the first Olympic gold medal for the UAE. We deserve many more such moments in the future as well,” he added.
Al Abbar, who is hands-on involved in the launch of the MJP facility is keen to see every citizen benefit. “The whole objective of the project is to go to the next level, and through the MJP we can achieve this goal,” he said.
“What hurts me really is that the current generation of UAE sportspersons doesn’t have a proper platform whereby they can win medals at the international and Olympic levels. I think Shaikh Ahmad will be extremely happy if some more athletes bring in Olympic honour to the UAE.
“We are partners in this. We are trying to shrink the gap so that our athletes are healthier and stronger to perform at their best level. We want to be seen as support for the parents who know their children have the potential to excel.”
