Dubai: UAE’s Asian Games silver medallist Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi will be carrying the UAE flag in the opening ceremony as the National Olympic Committee announced a 14-member team that will take part in five different disciplines in the Paris Games to be held from July 26-August 11.
The UAE delegation comprises 14 athletes accompanied by 24 administrative, technical, and medical staff. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of the National Olympic Committee, heads the UAE delegation participating in the Paris Olympic Games, while Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Vice-President of the National Olympic Committee, has been named Deputy Head of the delegation, Ahmed Al Tayeb, Director of the Technical and Sports Affairs Department at the National Olympic Committee, has also been named Chef de Mission of the sports delegation.
The athletes will compete in equestrian, judo, cycling, swimming and athletics. The national equestrian team participating in the show jumping competition includes Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzouqi, Salem Al Suwaidi, and Ali Al Karbi, with four of them to be selected for final participation by the technical staff in the next few days.
First Emirate female cyclist in Olympics
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.
Faris Mohammed Al Mutawaa, Secretary General of the NOC, thanked Sheikh Ahmed for his support and expressed his confidence in the UAE delegation participating in the Olympic Games.
“I reiterate my confidence in the athletes, on whom we rely heavily and trust their abilities and form to repeat the Olympic achievements in 2004 and 2016 and move forward in solidifying the country’s position and presence in the Olympic forums, especially since the current edition of the Olympic Games will witness many motivating factors happening for the first time in the history of the Games, such as equal participation rates between males and females, organising the opening ceremony outside sports stadiums, and other aspects that give the Paris Olympic Games a special historical character for all participants,” Al Mutawaa said while addressing a press conference at Shindagha Museum in Dubai.
UAE's rich history
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. Since then, the UAE has been continuously present in the Olympic Games up to the last edition in Tokyo in 2020. The 2004 Athens edition is one of the most significant moments in the history of UAE Olympic participation, with Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hasher Al Maktoum winning the gold medal in the double trap shooting event, achieving the UAE’s first Olympic medal with a score of 189 points. The UAE flag was raised again on the Olympic podiums during the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics when judoka Sergio Toma won a bronze medal in the under 81kg event.
In Paris, the athletes will compete in 32 sports across 329 events at 35 venues in the presence of 20,000 media representatives, and 45,000 volunteers. The Games include 754 events alongside 350,000 hours of television broadcast.
14 UAE athletes:
Show jumping
Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzouqi, Salem Al Suwaidi and Ali Al Karbi (four of the five to be selected for final).
Judo
Men: Narmand Bayan (under 66kg), Talal Shvili (under 81kg), Aram Gregorian (under 90kg), Dhafer Aram (under 100kg), Omar Marouf (over 100kg)
Woman: Bashirat Kharoudi (under 52kg in women’s lightweight).
Cycling
Safia Al Sayegh (road race).
Swimming
Yousef Rashid Al Matroushi (100-metre freestyle), Maha Abdullah Al Shehi (200-metre freestyle)
Athletics
Maryam Mohammed Al Farsi (100 metres).
