- Al Matrooshi is off the list of semi-finalists in Individual Rowing and competes in the race for places.
- 6 teams arrived at the Sports Village in Hangzhou.
- Rugby has finished its camp in Hong Kong and is preparing to participate in the Asian Challenge in the host country's group.
- The UAE flag will be raised tomorrow at the main athletes' village.
Our national sailing team got off to a good beginning in the Alka 4 competition for males and females at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, during the period from September 23 to October 8. 12,000 athletes from 45 Asian countries participate in 40 sports through 61 disciplines, and 481 competitions held in 54 sports facilities and attended by 50,000 volunteers and 12,000 media professionals.
Mohammed Al Zaabi and Camelia Al Qubaisi competed in the Alka 4 competition. All points are calculated cumulatively at the end of the races. The total number of races is 9 for the Alka 4 category, 10 for the Alka 6 category, and the same for the Alka 7 category for 7 days.
Mohammed Ibrahim Al Zaabi, a player of our National Sailing Team in the Alka 4 category, confirmed that the competitions would be difficult due to the presence of a group of Asian players, most notably the world champion and one of the best players in Asia in general, Thai player Wiki Bahnup. He pointed out that the competition was a debate among all competitors, but the opportunity still existed until the completion of the races and the crowning of the champions based on the cumulative system of points.
Zuhair Al Labbat, Technical Director of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation, stated that the UAE Sailing Team seeks to provide its best in all competitions because the Tournament is among the events and stations whose points are calculated in qualifying for the Paris Olympic Games next year (2024). Our national team players, Mohammed Al Zaabi and Camelia Al Qubaisi have performed well in the presence of several world-ranked players. He was also keen to meet directly with the players to discuss the positive aspects that were observed, with a focus on not repeating some mistakes to achieve the best results in the following stage, and advance in the cumulative ranking.
In terms of the competition's atmosphere, Al-Labbat confirmed that there was severe fog and a change in the weather conditions. The races were divided into 4 different stages, where the high spirit of the players and their dedication to representing the UAE prevailed.
In the Rowing Competition, Hamad Al Matrooshi, a player of our National Rowing Team, placed fourth in the second round, with a time of 8:02.89 minutes in the individual competition. Accordingly, Al Matrooshi is off the list of qualifiers to compete for coloured medals, but he will compete in the final race tomorrow for places, in general.
According to Sayed Wadeh, Coach of our National Rowing Team, the difference between Hamad Al Matrooshi and Kuwaiti player Abdulrahman Al-Fadil in the second round for the semi-final qualifiers was very small. He pointed out that the player specializes in lightweight (72 kg), with competing players from other countries above the weight (100 kg). The lightweight competition was cancelled by the organizing committee of the Games, and the open weight competition was kept, unlike the last Asian Games in Jakarta, which included all categories and competitions.
Wadeh stated that the climatic conditions today played a major role in the results of the competition due to the rain and winds that continued for long periods. He expressed his optimism about the upcoming participation to achieve better results for the UAE rowing team.
The UAE Rugby Team for men will arrive in Hangzhou, China from Hong Kong on Friday after an intensive 10-day pre-season in Hong Kong to develop players' skills and improve their fitness. The team includes 15 players in addition to the specialized technical and administrative staff. The camp included a number of friendly games against Hong Kong, one of the most prominent teams in Asia. During this period, intensive training programs were also provided to improve the performance of the players and enhance their fitness.
The UAE National Team will participate in Group (D) with China (Host Country), Afghanistan, and Nepal. Group (A) includes Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Malaysia teams. Group (B) includes South Korea, Taiwan, and Sri Lanka, which is participating under the flag of the Sri Lankan Olympic Committee. Group (C) includes Japan, Singapore, and Thailand.
The Tournament is due to be held over 3 consecutive days during the period (24-26) of this month. The UAE National Team will begin its participation on the first day against Nepal at 11:40 China time, then Afghanistan at 16:50, and finally it will compete with China at 20:10.
The second round of competition will begin within the next several days. The first-placed teams in the groups will compete with the second-placed teams from the other groups, while the third-place teams will play against each other
The final day will see the competition for all three medals and matches for places, in general. The UAE national team aims with enthusiasm and ambition to achieve success and raise the UAE flag high. Saud Abdul Hakim Belshalat, Board Member of the UAE Rugby Federation, confirmed that the team is fully prepared to participate in the Asian Games after a tangible development during the training camp. He also expressed his hope for success and won a medal in this major event.
Our 6 national teams arrived today at the Sports Village in Hangzhou in preparation for the 19th Asian Games. The official delegation was joined by the chess team, which included 5 players, namely Wafia Darwish, Rawda Al-Serkal, Aisha Sarhan Al-Muaini, Anoud Issa, and Moza Al-Mansouri. The delegation is accompanied by Cuban Alter Arancebia, Coach of the Women's National Team, and Administrative Officer Hind Mohammed Salem Al Nuaimi. The chess competition will begin from next Sunday until October 7.
The Fencing Team, which includes 4 players, Al Hayam Al Balushi and Noura Al Breiki (Fleuret Competition for Women), Zainab Al Hosani, and Shaikha Al Zaabi (Epee Competition for Women), in addition to 4 players in the Epee Competition for Men, namely Khalifa Al Zarooni, Mohammed Al Mazmi, Abdullah Al Hammadi, and Omran Al Balushi, also arrived.
Our National Cycling Team also arrived in Hangzhou. Before heading to the sports sub-village, the team will participate in road, track, and mountain bike races, with 7 male players and 2 female players: Ahmed Al Mansouri, Jaber Al Mansouri, Saif Al Kaabi, Abdullah Jassim Al Ali, Abdullah Al Hammadi and Yousef Mirza, as well as Safia Al Sayegh and Zahra Hussein. Khalifa Al Kaabi will compete in mountain bike races.
Our National Shooting Team, which includes Saif bin Fetais, Waleed Al-Ariani, Yahya Al-Muhairi, Ibrahim Khalil, Yasmine Tahlak, Ahmed Al-Amiri, Ghaya Al-Shuhail, and Aisha Al-Yasi, also arrived. Our National Swimming Team also arrived in the Chinese city. The team includes 3 female swimmers and 1 male swimmer. Mahra Al Shehhi and Meera Al Shehhi will compete in the 50-100m free, Maha Al Shehhi will compete in the 200-400m races, and swimmer Omar Al Hammadi will compete in the 50-100m backstroke.
The e-sports delegation included Ali Al Hammadi and Ahmed Al Suwaidi in the FIFA Game, Butti Al Mansouri, Ahmed Al Suwaidi, Khalifa Al Dhaheri, Harib Al Manthari, Faris Al Mazrouei, and Mohammed Al Matrooshi in the Legends Game, and Rashid Al Awadhi and Mohammed Al Bina in the Street Fighter Game.
Our National Taekwondo Team will also arrive tomorrow, which includes the duo Abdullah Al-Mazmi and Hussein Al-Mismari, in addition to the Basketball Team, which includes 12 players: Rashid Ayman, Hamed Abdullatif, Rashid Salem, Faisal Mohammed, Omar Khaled, Rashid Al-Zaabi, Jassim Mohammed, Khalid Khalifa, Qais Omar, Mahmoud Wassim, Hazza Omar, and Abdulaziz Khalifa.
Tomorrow, our National Sailing Team will complete its participation in the Asian Games in the two Alka 6 competitions of the Olympic category for women through the player Duha Al Bishr. Adel Khaled will participate in the Alka 7 competition in the Olympic category for men.
Tomorrow, the Athletes Village will witness a UAE flag-raising ceremony with a group of countries participating in the Asian Games in a tradition in various combined sports tournaments, especially continental and Olympic. Delegations of athletes from all countries are also celebrated in preparation for participating in the tournament competitions.