Mohammed Al Hammadi, the multiple Paralympic medal winner, leads a 50-strong UAE team in the 13th Fazza International Dubai 2022 World Para Athletics Grand Prix starting on Monday.
The four-day event has drawn more than 500 athletes from 43 countries and will be held at the Dubai Club for People of Determination, providing athletes qualification points for both the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July/August and October's Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.
Al Hammadi won silver and bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, before that had secured gold at Rio 2016, silver and bronze at 2012 London, in the T34 wheelchair category.
He competes in the men’s 800m T34 event and leads a 50-member UAE squad that also include Rio 2016 medallists (silver) Noura Al Ketbi and Sara Al Junaibi (bronze) besides Indonesia 2018 Asian Para Games bronze medallist Mariam Al Matrooshi.
“This year we have the Asian Para Games and the Fazza Championship will be an ideal prep going into the summer,” Al Hammadi said.
“I have just started my training and want to go step by step. I am not thinking too much about the result here but the focus will be to achieve good results be consistently, and control my body and mind.”
Al Hammadi is set to meet his main challenger Tunisian Walid Ktila, a four-time Paralympic champion. They faced-off earlier this year at the Sharjah International Open Para Athletics meet with Walid taking gold.
The rivalry between the two goes back to more than 10 years and Al Hammadi insisted it as a fierce competition on the track but a long-standing friendship off it.
“For me, it was a good start to the season,” said of his first meeting of the year against Ktila. “I am happy with that result while still getting used to with my new top-end wheelchair. I hope I can get good results this time around and in the season ahead.”
Among the top names in the championship are Switzerland’s Marcel Hug, the six-time Paralympic and nine-time World champion in the wheelchair.
Top athletes taking part in the men’s events include Columbia’s Jose Gregorio Lemos (men’s 100m, long jump and javelin F/T38), Iraq’s Garrah Tnaiash (shot put F40) and Malaysian Mohamad Ridzuan Mohamad Puzi (400m T46).
In women’s, Australian Paralympic star Angela Ballard will be the favourite in the wheelchair race while Indonesia's Asian Para Games gold medallist sprinters Putri Aulia and Karisma Evi Tiarani are ones to watch in the 100m races.
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
Starring: Ali El Ghoureir, Khalil El Roumeithy, Mostafa Abo Seria
Stars: 3
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Maitland-Niles, Mings, Saka, Trippier, Walker.
Midfielders Henderson, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Winks.
Forwards Abraham, Barnes, Calvert-Lewin, Grealish, Ings, Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling.
TICKETS
For tickets for the two-day Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) event, entitled Dubai Invasion 2019, on September 27 and 28 go to www.meraticket.com.
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Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight
Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.
Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.
Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.
“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.
Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.
Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.
However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.
With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.
In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.
The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.
The next few days will be crucial in determining whether these wishes come true.
Other IPL batting records
Most sixes: 292 – Chris Gayle
Most fours: 491 – Gautam Gambhir
Highest individual score: 175 not out – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Highest strike-rate: 177.29 – Andre Russell
Highest strike-rate in an innings: 422.22 – Chris Morris (for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017)
Highest average: 52.16 – Vijay Shankar
Most centuries: 6 – Chris Gayle
Most fifties: 36 – Gautam Gambhir
Fastest hundred (balls faced): 30 – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Fastest fifty (balls faced): 14 – Lokesh Rahul (for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in 2018)
