Handicapped athletes are bracing for action

Far away from the city, in a place better known for breeding long distance runners, a handful of youth from the At Thiqah Club from Sharjah went about their training schedule.

"This is the team which is capable of winning something for the UAE," stated their coach Abdul Rahman Kehal.

The five members of the Al Thiqah Club will be taking part in the three separate disciplines to be held for the handicapped during this edition of the Pan Arab Games.

The squad was busy training at the Bouchaoui training park, some 10 kms from the July 5 Stadium.

Ahmad Za'al, a silver and bronze medallist at the Sydney Paralympics four years back, is one of the members on the squad.

"We are expecting a lot from Ahmad as he is used to a higher level of competition," Kehal said.

"But that doesn't mean that we have no faith in the rest of the squad," he corrected.

Obaid Al Gharbi will be competing in the 400 metres run and the long jump, while Juma Saeed will be representing the UAE in the discus throw. Omar Hussain and Hassan Ali are the remaining two members of the squad.

Abdul Razaq Al Rashid, who is the manager of the team, stated that they are in the process of forming a second team.

"The main squad was in Athens for the Paralympic Games. We need to start preparing our athletes for the future, and that is why we have opted to bring in a second string squad for these Games," Al Rashid disclosed.

"We have trained well, and the athletes have all shown that they are capable of doing well. Now we have to wait for the actual competition to see the results," he added.

The special Games for the handicapped athletes will be held in three disciplines from October 5-7.