Ahmad Al Kamali, the president of the UAE Athletic Federation, is a pragmatic man. He peppers his views with the word “realistically” at every opportunity.
But as he prepares to lead the UAE contingent into the 17th Asian Games in Incheon on Friday, he is allowing himself to be optimistic.
Even though there are just four track and field athletes in the 81-strong UAE contingent heading to South Korea, Al Kamali believes "... that two, maybe even three medals are a possibility," he said.
“As far as athletics is concerned, there are no shortcuts. They have prepared well, we have exploited our resources as well as we can. The Asian Games for us, I think technically and in terms of administration, everyone has done their jobs.”
Two male and two female athletes hold the UAE’s hopes on the track.
“They can succeed,” Al Kamali said. “They can reach the final.
Saud Abdulkareem will compete in the 400 metres.
“Technically, he is good enough, he prepared very well, and if he reaches the final that would be great achievement,” Al Kamali said.
Saber Bayaha holds the UAE record for the discus.
“He’s one of the older athletes at 33,” Al Kamali said. “In technical sports like this, athletes will get better with age. You need experience, concentration and continuous practice. I’m hoping he reaches the final, too.”
Yet two Ethiopian-born female athletes likely hold the key for UAE medal success on the track.
At last year’s Asian Athletics Championships in India, Bethlem Desaleyn won gold medals at 1,500m and 5,000m, while Alia Saeed claimed gold in the 10,000m.
“We hope they get to the final of the 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m,” said Al Kamali, a former distance runner and coach.
Looking ahead, he thinks the 2016 Olympic Games may come too soon for any Emirati success.
“If I’m being pragmatic, from now until Rio, it’s too late to do anything new,” he said. “Technically, it will be very difficult to produce a new athlete in that time for the tournament. That is very difficult.
“We have to be thinking about the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. We are, of course, hoping that our athletes qualify in the proper manner, and that they can perform to a high standard, so that they are not among the lesser competitors.”
The UAE is, Al Kamali said, focused on promoting individual sports as an avenue for success.
“Always in these games, I think our chances exist only in individual sports,” he said. “Let’s be realistic – we are not going to win a football World Cup or win the handball World Cup. This applies to almost all team events. On the other hand, take the individual sports. In shooting, we took a gold in 2004 [at the Olympics], and today, I believe that individual sports are bringing us closer to the podium.
“In athletics, there are 47 different disciplines, 47 chances to get gold, silver or bronze. I think anything is possible.”
Al Kamali said he sees a brighter future for Emirati sportsmen and women, provided they have the right backing.
“Success would depend on how serious we are as administrators and coaches about the sport, on our budgets, on the facilities,” Al Kamali said. “We are in need of new infrastructure for athletics. By that I mean an dedicated indoor arena.
“For six months of the year, temperatures here can exceed 40°C, so it is very difficult to take athletes outside to run, or for endurance training. We are in serious need for indoor facilities.
“No doubt the UAE is blessed with infrastructure for other sports, but athletics needs in the near future to have a big share of those facilities.
“Athletics provides potential medals. It’s somewhere we can win.”
akhaled@thenational.ae
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