The UAE won a record medal haul in the Youth U23 of the IFMA Muaythai World Championships on the penultimate day of the event at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on Friday.
They had eight fighters in the finals and won four golds and four silvers, adding to the three bronze they clinched on the previous day to top the World Youths medals table, ahead of Malaysia (four golds and one silver), and Thailand (three golds, four silver).
Ymad Atrous, Mohammed Mardi, Mohamed Touizi and Miryam Chalghomi struck gold while Bilal Ibrahim, Ahmed Al Dhaheri, Zineb Bouhmada and Salama Aljneibi clinched silver.
“It has been an incredible day for us, to have eight finalists and then winning four golds,” Atrous told The National.
“I competed in the World Youths last year and it wasn’t great. This time with the event in Abu Dhabi, with better preparation and with a bigger and stronger squad, we have delivered in no small way.”
The host nation had 14 fighters, including four females, in the World Youths, and four in the men’s open where Ilyass Habibali will fight in Saturday’s 81kg light heavyweight division final.
Atrous, 18 - appearing in the World Youths for the second time - won three fights to reach the final.
“It was my toughest fight in the championship, and that wasn’t surprising because it was the final,” he said.
“I managed to score with my boxing and clinches to win the first two rounds, and my opponent was forced to retire from a bleeding nose early in the third round.”
Atrous, who has just completed his high school, has been in the martial art sport for three-and-a-half years.
“My father took me to the gym and I saw some boys practicing muaythai, and I just started it for fun and fitness,” Atrous, a three-time UAE junior national champion, said of his journey in the combat sport.
“I was 15 and I took part in a competition in Thailand and won. From that time, it was muaythai for me all the way.
“I’m eligible to participate in the World Youths for the next five years. The first world title is always the best and being eligible to compete in the World Youths for the next five years, I believe there’s many more to come.”
Chalgomi, 22, is Atrous’ cousin, and she bagged the only gold for the UAE in the female division as her opponent Raiane Guimaraes of Bahrain retired at the end of the second round.
“I got into muaythai three years ago after watching Ymad training, and now here I am with a gold medal in my first appearance at the World Youths,” the second year undergraduate in business management said.
Mardi won a split decision over Thai Pharadon Phoplot in the 67kg and Touizi defeated Jordanian Ahmad Alawasa by unanimous decision in the 51kg.
UAE’s Thai coach Sanit Samat said the performances of the young fighters was the result of the UAE Muaythai Federation’s long-term project.
“Since UAE’s successful debut at the Muaythai World Championships in Mexico in 2018, the sport has been on the fast track,” he said.
“The UAE Muaythai Federation has drawn up an excellent long-term project and the results are what we see at this world championship. We have a number of kids and youth in high performance training. The sport is fast catching up with the country’s youth.”
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
Which products are to be taxed?
To be taxed:
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
FA CUP FINAL
Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450
Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000
Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 369hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm at 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km
