Mariam Kareem Leads 400m Hurdles Qualifying to Reach Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Final
Mariam Kareem Leads 400m Hurdles Qualifying to Reach Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Final
Sets Personal Best with Fastest Time Across Both Qualifying Heats
UAE national athletics team athlete Mariam Kareem advanced to the women’s 400m hurdles final at the 20th Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026 after topping her heat and the overall qualifying standings on Sunday with a personal-best time of 55.14 seconds.
The UAE had opened its medal account at the Games through Sulaiman Abdulrahman, who claimed silver in the men’s 400m final with a time of 44.99 seconds.
During Sunday’s athletics programme, SulaimanAbdulrahman was presented with the silver medal he won in the men’s 400m on Saturday, receiving the UAE’s first medal of the Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026 following his outstanding performance in the final.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum ended the opening day of men’s trap qualification in fifth place after hitting 48 of 50 targets, with 24 in each of the two rounds. Yahya Suhail Al Muhairi finished 26th with 44 targets, having hit 23 in the opening round and 21 in the second, with qualification set to continue tomorrow.
In dressage, Bianca Schütz finished 12th in the individual freestyle final, scoring 70.930% aboard Le Grand Ayden HB, while Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri placed 13th with 68.945% aboard Lotus-S.
Schütz and Al Jahouri’s qualification for the individual final marked a new milestone for UAE dressage, as they became the first two UAE riders to qualify together for the individual freestyle final at a single edition of the Asian Games.
In archery, the UAE recurve mixed team defeated Nepal 6–2 before concluding its campaign with a 0–6 defeat to India in the round of 16.
Also in the round of 16, the UAE men’s compound team lost 215–235 to India, while the women’s compound team was defeated 225–234 by South Korea. The compound mixed team fell just three points short against China, losing 150–153, while the women’s recurve team was defeated 0–6 by Chinese Taipei.
Jumana Al Najjar, a member of the UAE national archery team, expressed satisfaction with her result, saying she had come close to the target she set before the competition and was pleased to achieve a personal best at an event of this level.
She said the opening stage was the most challenging part of her competition, with nerves particularly high during the first round. She therefore focused on her technical execution, motivating herself and maintaining confidence throughout the event.
Al Najjar added that competing against athletes representing different Asian schools and styles had provided valuable experience, particularly with world-class competitors in the field. She said the exposure to different approaches and ways of handling competition pressure had been beneficial and had given her a clearer understanding of the level she aspires to reach.
Looking ahead, Al Najjar said her goal is to continue developing technically, achieve greater consistency in competition and improve her results as she works towards competing for leading positions at world level.
The UAE fencing team concluded its campaign in the men’s team épée event following a 36–45 defeat to Hong Kong, China in the round of 16.
Saleh Al Baloushi, a member of the UAE national fencing team, said competing in both the individual and team events at the Games had been an important experience in his career, providing direct exposure to a range of Asian competition levels and allowing him to gain further experience both technically and mentally.
Al Baloushi explained that the individual event gave him a greater opportunity to familiarise himself with the atmosphere of the Games and his opponents’ styles, apply what he had worked on in training and identify areas requiring further development.
He added that team competition presents a different challenge, with greater emphasis on cohesion, cooperation between the fencers and performing as a unit. He noted that the UAE team had sought to deliver the best possible performance and represent the nation with distinction.
Al Baloushi said competing in both the individual and team events had given him a well-rounded experience to build on in the future. He stressed the importance of continuing to work and train, and of learning from every bout to further improve his performance and achieve better results in upcoming competitions.
Tomorrow’s Competition Schedule
UAE athletes will continue competing across several sports tomorrow, with Mariam Kareem set to contest the women’s 400m hurdles final after topping the overall qualifying standings with a personal-best time of 55.14 seconds.
In shooting, Sheikh Mohammed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum and Yahya Suhail Al Muhairi will continue in the second day of men’s trap qualification following the opening day of competition. In padel, Fatima bin Shahdoor and Mariam Al Hashmi will begin their women’s doubles campaign in the first round.
In archery, Abdullah Al Mansoori and Sultan Al Menhaliwill contest the round of 16 in the men’s individual compound, while Jumana Al Najjar and Amna Al Awadhi will continue in the knockout rounds of the women’s individual compound.
Abdullah Al Zubaidi and Marwa Al Hammadi will also compete in the ILCA 4 class in sailing after today’s scheduled events were postponed due to unstable weather conditions.
China continued to lead the medal standings with 201 medals — 117 gold, 46 silver and 38 bronze — followed by Japan with 153 — 36 gold, 60 silver and 57 bronze — and South Korea with 81 — 20 gold, 23 silver and 38 bronze.
Among Arab nations, Bahrain remained the leader, sitting eighth overall with 12 medals — seven gold, two silver and three bronze. Qatar ranked second among Arab nations, followed by Kuwait in third, Jordan fourth and Saudi Arabia fifth. The UAE opened its medal account at the Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026 through Sulaiman Abdulrahman’s silver in the men’s 400m, placing joint 30th overall with one medal and ninth among Arab nations.
