Brilliant Shaheen is set for big things

Dubai: Ahmad Shaheen on Wednesday emerged as the favourite to lead the UAE's bid for a sailing medal at the Asian Games in December.

Shaheen has excelled as skipper of the No 1 UAE team in this week's ISAF Nations Cup qualifying round at Dubai International Marine Club, and is likely to be rewarded with the same key role in the match racing event in Doha.

The final decision rests between the UAE's Italian coach, Raymondo Tonelli, and Sid Bensalah, sailing director at Dubai International Marine Club, where a youth sailing programme introduced Shaheen and a crop of UAE youngsters to the sport seven years ago.

But Bensalah said: "Ahmad is very talented, and he's in pole position to be the UAE skipper for the Asian Games. He's a brilliant sailor, he's young, and he's lucky to have Raymondo as a coach."

Advancing from dinghy sailing in the optimist and laser 4.7 classes, the UAE squad preparing for the Asian Games have been match racing only since last year, and as a skipper Shaheen is currently 845th in the ISAF world rankings.

That puts him a long way behind India's Mahesh Ramchandran (No. 73) and Turkey's Orkun Soyer (160), who led the round robin series in the ISAF Nations Cup qualifier with eight wins each compared to Shaheen's four victories after the first two days.