DUBAI // Thirteen-year-old Khalifa al Abbar, the UAE's very own karate kid, is on top of the world after a stunning gold medal-winning performance in a top international competition. The Emirati scored a remarkable victory at the Italian Open International Championship and declared by telephone from Milan: "I am now the best in the world in my category." Khalifa beat four Italians and an American on his way to collecting the gold medal in the Under 14 category at the annual Italian Golden League event.
"I did not expect to win because the competition here is very strong; it is probably stronger than the World Championships," said Khalifa, who finished fourth in the tournament last year. "I expected maybe third or fourth, but never gold. The victory here makes me want to win more and more medals." The annual tournament regularly attracts one of the strongest international fields in the sport. Karate is not an Olympic sport and the World Championships are only open to those aged over 14, so the Golden League event is regarded as the highest-profile competition for competitors under the age of 14.
"I feel very happy," said Khalifa. "We trained well and we got the medal we deserved. This is the best win of my career." This weekend's tournament involved more than 2,000 practitioners from 49 countries. Khalifa said he will now take a three-month break from competing to improve his fitness and muscle mass and ensure he can "stay on the top of the international podium". Adnan al Abbar, Khalifa's father, said his son's victory was a dream come true.
"We are on top of the world," he said. "Tears are coming to my eyes as I am telling you this, but as a father and to watch your son become the best in the world is something very special." gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
THREE
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LAST-16 EUROPA LEAGUE FIXTURES
Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)
FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm
Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm
Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm
Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm
Thursday
Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm
Sevilla v Roma (one leg only) 8.55pm
FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm
Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm
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Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
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Oct 13: Indonesia (a)
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Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
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Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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Favourite biking destination: Canada
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Match info:
Real Betis v Sevilla, 10.45pm (UAE)
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
|
Age |
$250 a month |
$500 a month |
$1,000 a month |
|---|---|---|---|
|
25 |
$640,829 |
$1,281,657 |
$2,563,315 |
|
35 |
$303,219 |
$606,439 |
$1,212,877 |
|
45 |
$131,596 |
$263,191 |
$526,382 |
|
55 |
$44,351 |
$88,702 |
$177,403 |
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