As part of our buildup to the Tokyo Olympics we will be profiling Arab athletes and para-athletes as well as those from the Mena region hoping to make it to this summer's Games
At 51, the fire still burns bright inside Mohammed Khamis Khalaf.
The Emirati powerlifter is preparing for his sixth Paralympic Games in Tokyo this summer after the 2020 event was postponed by a year following the outbreak of Covid-19.
Khalaf made his Paralympic debut at Sydney 2000 where he narrowly missed out on the medal round.
He finished fourth Down Under and that performance gave him the confidence to go forward and strike gold in Athens four years, making him the first Emirati Paralympian to achieve that feat.
At Beijing 2008, Khalaf suffered an elbow injury but battled through to return with a bronze. However, the damage worsened and required surgery. The time he took to recover - coupled with another injury to his right shoulder - put paid to his chances at London 2012.
Khalaf then bounced back to bag his second Paralympic Games gold at Rio 2016. Now he has his sights firmly set on a third Paralympic gold at Tokyo.
"I was preparing well and ready for Tokyo when the pandemic came," Khalaf told The National during a training session at the Dubai Club for People of Determination.
“We had to start all over again but I believe everyone preparing for the Games had to face the same problems as me. We all have to accept the decision to postpone the event because of the severity of the situation.
“The pandemic was something that we never expected. The situation is still not very clear but we are hopeful the Paralympic Games will take place as per the new schedule, and with that hope we are continuing to prepare.”
The postponement of the Paralympic Games by a year hasn’t altered Khalaf’s training schedule. His participation in buildup events is less clear because of the ongoing travel restrictions brought on by Covid.
“The plan was to participate in four international competitions abroad and the final one in Dubai, the Fazza Championship, but there are some uncertainties because of the prevailing Covid-19 situation,” Khalaf said.
“We are waiting for our federation to confirm the competitions we are going to participate in. So fingers crossed on that.
“My preparation for Tokyo is going well and I know what is required, now that I’m heading for my sixth Paralympics. I had a little break when it was postponed but now we have a good schedule to follow and I’m confident to be at my best in time of the Games.”
Khalaf has more than two decades of experience in top-flight competitions, which is almost as long as his partnership with his Moroccan coach Titou Kacem, whom he first met in 1993 at the Dubai Club for People of Determination.
“Khalaf was very active person taking part in several sports including shot putt and wheelchair racing when I first met him,” Kacem said.
“He was good at powerlifting and I suggested he concentrate on it to prepare for competitions.”
Khalaf’s first big competition was the World Powerlifting Championship in Dubai in 1998. He finished ninth from a field of 24, which he said was the turning point for him.
Thereafter Khalaf celebrated his first gold at an International Championships in New Zealand in the 185.7kg category to qualify for Sydney 2000.
“The first international competition in Dubai made me believe in myself that I can compete against the best in the world,” Khalaf, who suffered leg paralysis caused by polio when he was a child, said.
“At first, I was nervous when I saw those whom I was competing against in Dubai. I never thought I would finish ninth.
“And then Sydney motivated me to work harder to aim for a medal. To achieve that was a huge moment because it came after Sheikh Ahmed Hasher had won the UAE’s first Olympic gold in shooting at Athens.”
In the lead-up to Athens, Khalaf won tournaments in Spain and Belgium and followed it up with a third gold at the International Championship in Cardiff in 2001.
He then won gold in his first appearance at the Gulf Championship in 2003 before going on to create history in Athens.
Kacem described Khalaf as a physically and mentally strong individual with a remarkable work ethic.
“Age is only a number for Khalaf,” he said. “He remains as fiercely competitive as when he first started. His work, discipline and commitment all through has been outstanding.
“Actually, he has a big heart. He never says he is tired. He always completes the tasks given to him and that’s the success we can see in him. He is willing to do extra work. He can go on until I tell him that’s enough.”
Khalaf is employed at the Dubai Courts but is given time-off for his training and backed by the UAE Paralympic Sports Federation.
The receptions hosted by both Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, whenever he returns with a medal is the best motivation for Khalaf.
“What more can you expect when our leaders receive us and commend our achievements in person,” Khalaf asked.
“Our federation doesn’t push us to deliver at every competition but encourage all of us to participate and to do our best. There is absolutely no pressure for us to win a medal at every competition.
“I have got many things in life through sports and I owe all that to our country’s leaders, the federation and of course Titou, who has been more like a brother and mentor to me than a coach.”
Khalaf’s employer gave him paid leave for 2020 and has extended it until the Paralympics in Tokyo, slated for August 4-September 5.
According to Kacem, the usual training routine is five times a week but intensifies when they are close to a competition to twice a day and six days a week. They also hold internal and external camps.
Khalaf and Kacem, 53, have become best of friends over the years and the coach said they have never had a spat since their first meeting.
“I arrived in the UAE in 1991 and did various coaching and physical training assignments for the Dubai Police,” Kacem said.
“I did some part time work at the Dubai Club for People of Determination. That’s when I met Khalaf. We have got on well from day one.
“I saw the potential in Khalaf from the time we started training. The rest is history, as they say.”
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
RESULTS
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KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees
Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme
Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks
Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Racecard
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Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Afcon 2019
SEMI-FINALS
Senegal v Tunisia, 8pm
Algeria v Nigeria, 11pm
Matches are live on BeIN Sports
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
