Dubai: If camaraderie breeds success, then the girls representing the DuGym Rhythmic Gymnastics Club in Dubai are undeniably on the right track.
From the stress-free footing established by their coaches, 10-year-old Shaikha Al Tayer and her band of merry acrobats have discovered a unique chemistry and unity that is helping mould them into future champions.
If they’re not bouncing across gymnastics mats with expertise while performing somersaults or pirouetting through difficult routines, the girls, who age between eight and 13, are cheering each other on or cheerfully throwing stuffed teddy bears at their rivals.
Joy and enthusiasm spills from the team who last month represented the UAE at the 5th International Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where they won two key medals while competing against more than 200 gymnasts from around the world.
Sona Halmamedova sprang a surprise by clinching gold in the eight-year-old age group when she delivered a sensationally entertaining routine.
Shaikha, the only Emirati competing at the event, had to battle illness on the day of the competition. But the Latifa School For Girls student performed a ballet-inspired, classic form of rhythmic gymnastics to impress the judges and win the silver medal in the fiercely competitive under-13 division.
Fever pitch
Reflecting on the day, Shaikha said: “I still feel nervous when I think about it, but in the end what mattered was that, despite feeling a little feverish, I was able to complete my routine to the best of my ability.
“In gymnastics you need to find what you are good at and use that to your best advantage. I was happy with the way I performed my pirouettes and I feel that every time I compete I’m getting better and better.”
Shaikha, who is the daughter of Saeed Al Tayer, the multiple World Powerboat Champion and current Chairman and CEO of Meydan Group, said the Budapest championships has made her fall deeper in love with the sport.
“This is what I want to do and, like all the other girls in our club, I want to try to make it to the top,” she said. “It’s difficult, but I guess if you are prepared to work hard and really believe in yourself, you can do it.
“I can’t wait for the next competition, because there’s nothing more exciting that being in a competition.”
Shaikha is coached and mentored by Angel Ilgaz, a former Turkish gymnast and Olympic judge who set up the DuGym Rhythmic Gymnastics Club in Dubai and is helping pioneer an Emirati revolution in the Olympic discipline.
“Every time the girls surprise me,” said Ilgaz. “The passion and spirit that they bring to the club each day is amazing. I could not be happier with the progress that they are making, taking into consideration that they are all very young and impressionable.
“But these girls are committed to the sport and it makes my job a lot easier when you have girls with such a positive attitude.
Not easy
“Believe me, rhythmic gymnastics is certainly not an easy sport — it requires a lot of dedication, hard work and passion. There are hundreds of little girls around the world who are hungry and determined to become top gymnasts and only the best will achieve their goal.”
Ilgaz also lauded the efforts of Sona, Maya Helmy, Inka Viita and the others members of the team.
Sona, a precocious eight-year-old, said her goal was to be one of the best gymnasts in the world.
“I was surprised with the way I performed during the comeptition at Budapest,” said the gold medallist. “At one stage I jumped so high I thought I could fly.
“I’ve never done that before and it has really inspirired me. I think I also performed my splits very well, while there are some areas in my routine that I would like to improve upon. But I’m a lot more confident now and think I can go far in gymnastics.”
Asked to describe one quality that motivates them to want to scale the heights, Shaikha said: “We have a nice relationship as teammates and it’s a lot of fun. The more fun we have in our sport the better we perform as it helps take away the nervousness. When you go out there to enjoy yourself, it helps a lot. It’s an awesome feeling.”
