Dubai: At just 21, showjumper Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi is the flag-bearer for the UAE at Paris Olympics, which begins on Friday. However, the Asian Games individual silver medallist is under no pressure as he carries the UAE’s hopes in the greatest sporting showpiece in the world.
“Everyone wishes for a medal in the Olympics, and I wish to get a medal too. But I’m going to work hard to represent the UAE in the best way, and if I could get a medal then I’m happy. At this young age, the experience I will gain from the Paris Games will put me in a better position for the next Olympics. This is my first Olympics, so I have plenty of time to achieve my goals,” Al Marzooqi told Gulf News from Europe, where underwent extensive preparations for the Games.
During the preparations, Al Marzooqi clinched the CSI four-star 1.55-metre Grand Prix title at the Montfalco Championship in Italy in May. Al Marzooqi, riding 10-year-old stallion Enjoy de la Mure, outwitted 46 riders to clinch the coveted title, a big boost to his individual and UAE’s pursuit of a medal ahead of the Olympics.
So far, Al Marzooqi, who also won the silver medal in the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has made 906 starts and scored 60 wins to be ranked 192 in the FEI rankings.
Early beginnings and family influence
Al Marzooqi entered the sport when he was only three, thanks to the influence his father, Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi, had on him.
His father, also an international showjumper with the UAE, trained him when he began with ponies at the age of six at their Al Bahiya Equestrian Centre in 2009. In 2011, he started competing, and in 2012 Sheikh Shakhbout Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan gave him a chance to be part of the team. He then started representing Al Shiraz Stables, founded by Sheikha Fatima Bint Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
“I chose showjumping because my father drove me into the sport. Obviously, I also had the love and enthusiasm for showjumping, especially as it is one of the hardest equestrian sports. You have to jump with the horse, feel the horse, and everything should be in order to succeed, which made me take up the sport,” he reminisced.
Asian Games success and Olympic preparation
At the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Al Marzooqi notched up two medals — an individual silver and team bronze — helping power the UAE to an unprecedented three-medal haul. Adding to the medal tally, the continental championship gave him a chance to soak up the pressure of a big event. However, the Olympics is far superior, as Al Marzooqi leads a 14-strong UAE contingent competing in equestrian, judo, cycling, swimming, and athletics.
“We are the only country to have three medals in Asian Games. It gave us the opportunity to compete as a team in high-pressure situations, and now we are ready to give our best and make UAE proud again,” Al Marzooqi added. “My aim is to show the world UAE’s real potential in the sporting arena and the growth the country has made in recent times.”
The UAE is participating in the Olympic Games for the 11th time, having started its participation in the 23rd edition in Los Angeles in 1984. In the 2004 Athens Olympics, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hasher Al Maktoum won the gold medal in the double trap shooting, while Sergio Toma clinched the bronze in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
UAE Olympic team overview
The UAE equestrian team participating in the showjumping competition includes Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzooqi, Salem Al Suwaidi, and Ali Al Karbi, with four of them to be selected for final participation by the technical staff.
The national judo team includes five male and one female athlete: Narmand Bayan (under 66kg), Talal Shvili (under 81kg), Aram Gregorian (under 90kg), Dhafer Aram (under 100kg), Omar Marouf (over 100kg), and female athlete Bashirat Kharoudi (under 52kg in women’s lightweight).
Cyclist Safia Al Sayegh will compete in the road race at the Paris Olympic Games, being the first Emirati female cyclist to qualify for the Olympics. Swimmer Yousef Rashid Al Matroushi will compete in the 100-metre freestyle, and swimmer Maha Abdullah Al Shehi will compete in the 200-metre freestyle. Runner Maryam Mohammed Al Farsi will compete in the 100-metre race.
As the show nears, Al Marzooqi is trying to keep it simple in his bid to clinch a medal.
“Just believe in yourself, focus on what you do, and be prepared for the challenge physically and mentally. Then everything is going to be in order,” he concluded.
