Dubai: The UAE Athletics Association (UAE AA) will not settle for anything short of three medals from the four athletes representing the country at this week’s Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.
The UAE’s four-member squad includes the experienced women’s distance running duo of Alia Mohammad Saeed and Bethlhem Desalegn, along with Saud Abdul Karim and Saber Bayaha in the men’s section.
Alia Mohammad Saeed will be the first one in action as she participates in the 10,000-metre women’s final at 7.30pm on September 27, followed by Saud Abdul Karim in the men’s 400-metre heats at 9pm. Desalegn will also be in action on the same day as she takes part in the women’s 3,000-metre steeplechase final at 10.05pm for the last event of the evening. Saber Bayaha is the fourth UAE athlete and he will be participating in the discus throw on September 30.
“Our medal prospects are hot this time around and this is because we have put in a lot of effort to get these athletes in peak condition going into the Asian Games. To start with, I am expecting all four of them to make it to the finals in their respective events,” Ahmad Al Kamali, President, UAE AA, told Gulf News.
“Of course a lot depends on the form of the athletes on that given day. But I am confident that our athletes are ready to peak at these Games,” he added.
All four athletes have spent the past six months travelling in Europe, either for training camps or competitions. After competitions in Barcelona and Addis Ababa, the four athletes were camping in Sweden till their arrival in the UAE on Tuesday. They are scheduled to depart for Incheon on September 18.
“We have paid a lot of attention to the training programme and even the diet of our athletes. We provided the conditions for them to thrive and give off their best, and now it is time for them to deliver all their hard work into medals,” Al Kamali said.
“There will be no excuses made by us when the Games conclude on October 4,” he promised.
