Dubai: Well, 2010 has been a great year for UAE sport. The expectations and pressure around its sportsmen has been big, but they have delivered.
It all really started in September when His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, led the UAE endurance team to win the gold medal in the 160-km endurance ride at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.
In pictures: Moments in sport 2010
Shaikh Mohammad, who was returning to active competition after a short gap, produced an inspirational effort to win the silver medal in the individual category when he finished second to the Dubai-based Spanish rider Maria Alvarez Ponton.
The gold medal winning UAE squad also comprised Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, who also bagged the individual bronze medal, Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture, and Shaikh Rashid Bin Dalmook Al Maktoum.
It was the UAE's first-ever team triumph in the world championship, which saw riders from over 50 countries compete for medal honours in the endurance
Meanwhile, there was more success awaiting the UAE showjumping team at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in November where they won the silver medal after a tense face-off for the second spot with Hong Kong.
The team featured Shaikha Latifa Al Maktoum, Shaikh Rashid Al Maktoum, Shaikh Majid Al Qasimi and Ahmad Al Junaibi.
The show jumping medal followed the silver medal won by shooter Shaikh Juma Bin Dalmook Al Maktoum in the double trap. India's Ronjan Sodhi won the gold.
Rounding off a successful Asian Games for the UAE were the national football team, who won the silver medal after going down to Japan in a well-contested final.
Earlier in the year, the UAE Under-23 team won the Gulf Cup football championship in Doha with a 1-0 victory over Kuwait. Ahmad Khalil headed home the matchwinner in the 33rd minute.
The UAE also attracted world attention when the breathtaking new Meydan Racecourse opened in Dubai on January 28 to signal the beginning of a new era in horseracing.
If that was not enough, the UAE's growing reputation as an international sporting venue was further established when Dubai and Abu Dhabi became the newest Test venues.
