Athletes stressed that the UAE’s tally in the Olympic Games is unsatisfactory and does not reflect the size of Emirati talent, demanding the necessity of preparing a comprehensive and comprehensive study of previous participations, and forming a national team that will develop a clear plan to develop sports in the country, through discovering talent, especially in individual games.
They told Emirates Today that “winning only two medals is not enough,” as Emirati sports have won throughout the history of the Olympics a gold medal, signed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Hasher Al Maktoum in “Athens 2004,” and a bronze in judo by Sergio Toma in “Rio de “Janeiro 2016”, at a time when eyes are awaiting the “Paris 2024” tournament scheduled for the period from July 26 to August 11 next, in which 10 athletes have qualified to participate so far, representing three sports: judo, equestrian, and cycling. The volume of participation may increase with the hope of qualifying in Badminton, athletics and swimming.
Emirati hopes seem pinned on judo only to rise to the podium in Paris, which raises questions about the reasons for the low ceiling of expectations as the date of each Olympic Games approaches. Athletes revealed a flaw in the elite project launched by the General Sports Authority, which lies in the presence of a missing link that stands in the way. The path to its success is the lack of assistance from technical personnel from federations and previous achievers, and the absence of administrative professionalism and technical coordination with the relevant federations in the five games included in the project, despite the available budgets, in addition to the failure to contract with high-level specialized coaches capable of dealing with elite athletes. .
They stressed that “the absence of specialized schools and the lack of budgetary support make the Olympic dream difficult,” calling for benefiting from the Chinese experience, for example, in the method of preparing Olympic champions and the starting point from sports schools.
“Judo” participates to compete
Secretary General of the Judo Federation and member of the National Olympic Committee, Nasser Al Tamimi, confirmed that the goal of Emirati judo in the “Paris Olympics” is to compete for the podiums.
Al Tamimi said: “The sport of Emirati judo has registered its presence in the fifth consecutive session in the (Olympics), and this is due to the long-term plans that the federation has developed through its individual efforts to hone talents, which bore fruit in 2016 with the rise to the podiums, which is what we look forward to repeating in the competition.” He won more than one medal in Paris 2024.
He explained: “Investing in talent and working on elite elements according to thoughtful plans that include no less than 250 days of high-level training, the fruits of which were the creation of true champions in the sport of judo, including six players who succeeded in making their way to Paris through the portal of world championships.” High level, and they have become a difficult number on the international scene.”
Al-Tamimi pointed out that “Judo, like other sports federations, works with individual efforts to create champions, despite the existence of the Elite Project, which was launched by the General Sports Authority nearly two years ago and has huge budgets.” He said: “The Judo Federation established its Elite Project in 2002, and it quickly bore fruit in accordance with Intensive training throughout the year in creating real heroes,” adding: “The project launched by the Authority confirms the existence of a missing link that stands in the way of its success, which is the Authority’s failure to seek the assistance of technical personnel from federations, especially those who have experience in creating champions, in an embodiment of the defect present in (the Elite Project).” “The authority has administrative professionalism and technical coordination with the specialized federations in the five games included in the project.”
He concluded: “Despite the availability of huge budgets in the Authority’s project, the lack of use of the federations’ expertise, especially the technical elements and former achievers, or even the failure to contract with high-level specialized trainers capable of working with the elite elements, made this project restricted in its ability to create an Olympic champion.” The task remains the responsibility of the hardworking federations, including judo.”
Two medals are not enough
The World Cup in modern sailing, Adel Khaled, confirmed that limiting the UAE’s achievements to two Olympic medals does not reflect the amount of talent and champions that abound in the country’s sport, stressing that achieving Olympic glory requires long-term strategies, in addition to large budgets that can be provided by national companies. A giant within her societal duty.
Adel Khaled said: “Modern sailing in the country is limited to two categories out of the 13 categories present in the Olympic tournaments. However, the champions and champions of this sport were able, with support, to achieve remarkable achievements in international forums, including climbing to the podiums of world championships more than once. However, these achievements can extend to Olympic glory if the success factors are available, including budgets capable of transforming long-term strategies into reality in creating an Olympic champion.”
He explained: “There are many experiences that can be benefited from, whether the Chinese experience by including all Olympic Games in schools, or even the French experience with regard to sailing, which lays the foundation for discovering emerging talents that can be worked on based on long-term strategies towards creating Olympic champions. However, this… Strategies will remain restricted without the huge budgets allocated to them.”
He added: “Sports federations strive to provide means of sponsorship and support to compensate for the weak budgets sufficient to create an Olympic champion. Here I call on giant national companies to play their societal role, including, for example, the presence of national companies that sponsor teams in ocean sports from different countries under the pretext of promoting their brands with budgets.” It exceeds 200 million dirhams annually, knowing that there are Emirati champions in sailing who are able to compete and achieve Olympic glory, if they have the budgets that are in line with turning the dream into reality, by providing all the requirements that guarantee these athletes’ presence and competition in the Olympic tournaments.” .
He concluded: “The professional marketing aspect is no less important than the administrative aspect in sports federations, as it provides the activities and champions of sports and federations with the generation of huge financial returns by national companies and the private sector, ensuring the continued presence in international championships and gaining friction, which is the only way to be able to Developing the level of athletes towards achieving the dream of reaching the Olympic tournaments.”
Students of gold
Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Director of the Dubai Horse Racing Club and Dubai Equestrian Club, Major General Dr. Muhammad Issa Al-Azeb, confirmed that the qualification of the show jumping, cycling and judo games to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games confirms the right of individual games to receive appropriate support, especially since they are superior to group games. And capable of achieving achievements in the name of the country in the Olympic forum.
Al-Azeb said: “There is no doubt that the ranking of UAE sports at the level of Arab countries and its results in the Olympic Games are not commensurate with the capabilities that the country possesses.”
He touched on the conditions that must be met for an Emirati athlete to win an Olympic medal, and said: “The UAE’s record in previous participations is not satisfactory, so there must be a thorough and comprehensive study, through the formation of a national team that will develop a clear plan to develop sports in the country, through discovering talents, Especially in individual games, as I mentioned.
Regarding whether the creation of an Olympic champion requires eight years of preparation and real preparation for the competition to achieve medals, he said: “The sufficient period can be determined according to the plan drawn up by those in charge of preparing an Olympic champion, as it actually requires long years that may reach eight.” Years or more, but this requires the combined efforts of institutions, clubs and federations with the work team, because everyone is a partner in the goal of reaching the ultimate goal, which is preparing an Olympic champion who will achieve an achievement in the name of the country.”
Al-Azab stressed that schools are a gold mine for UAE sports, saying: “Paying attention to schools and discovering talent is one of the most important steps that will contribute to the development of UAE sports, and I remember the technical director of athletics at Al-Nasr Club, Mohammed Al-Khalafawi, who was originally a teacher, and he played an important role.” “In discovering players who are suitable for practicing various sports in athletics.”
He added: “Schools are the basic base that can be relied upon, especially since they are full of good materials that only need an expert eye that discovers, follows up, and works to refine talents and direct them in the correct way towards practicing the appropriate sport for each student.”
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Those who have qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics so far:
Jumping hurdles:
■■ Muhammad Al-Hajri, Abdullah Al-Marri, Salem Al-Suwaidi, and Omar Al-Marzouqi.
■■ The show jumping team qualified for the Olympics after finishing second in its group in the qualifying competitions held in Qatar.
■■ He won 3 medals (one silver and two bronze) in the team and individual competitions at the Asian Games.
Bicycles:
■■ The heroine, Safia Al-Sayegh.
■■ The first time an Emirati cyclist qualifies for the Olympics.
■■ She qualified after collecting 514 points from her participation in approved continental and international tournaments.
■■ She achieved a ranking of 47th in the world to qualify among the best 90 players in the world.
■■ The UAE presented a historic medal (bronze in the individual time trial under 23 years) in the Asian Championship.
Judo:
■■ Zafer Aram, Narmand Bayan, Talal Shvili, Omar Marouf, Bashirat Kharudi.
■■ The team won a gold and two bronze medals at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
■■ The competitors recorded a remarkable attendance and collected points in the major International Judo Federation tournaments that qualified them for the Olympics.
• 10 athletes so far represent the UAE in “Paris 2024” in 3 sports.
• Demands the formation of a national team that sets a clear plan for development.
• Expectations are high in judo for competition, not just participation.
