It is a golden moment in UAE sporting history.
The sight of Sheikh Ahmed Hasher Al Maktoum at the top of the podium in 2004, with the Athens Olympic Games’ double trap shooting gold medal around his neck, his eyes welling with emotion and pride as the UAE national anthem played in the background, is hard to forget.
On his return, Al Maktoum received a welcome befitting the young country’s first Olympic gold medal winner. To date, though, that is the only medal, of any hue, UAE has won in eight visits to the Olympic Games since Los Angeles 1984.
This summer in Rio, however, the country could make an addition to their Olympic collection and, unsurprisingly, their biggest hopes are the three shooters in the 13-member UAE squad — Khaled Al Kaabi, Saif Bin Futtais, and the veteran Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum.
More from Rio 2016:
• Meet the team: Profiles on all 13 athletes representing the UAE at the Rio Olympic Games
• TV schedule: Full Olympic schedule and channel listing in UAE time
• Yousif Mirza: UAE's cycling star: Ready to fulfil his Olympic dream and carry the flag for UAE cycling
Two of them — Sheikh Saeed and Bin Futtais — have won medals at World Cup level. Sheikh Saeed, who will be making his fifth consecutive appearance at the Olympics, won the skeet gold at the 2011 World Cup in Al Ain and a silver in Seoul in 2001, while Bin Futtais, winner of the skeet bronze in Acapulco in 2013, took gold two years later in Larnaca, Cyprus, to clinch a spot for the UAE at the Olympic Games.
Bin Futtais also won skeet gold at the Asia Olympic Qualifying Competition in New Delhi earlier this year, and at the same tournament, Al Kaabi took gold in the double trap event, defeating Kuwaiti veteran Fehaid Al Deehani — a bronze medal winner at the 2010 and 2012 Olympics — in the final.
The UAE shooting trio, then, are a proven lot and under the guidance of Sheikh Ahmed, the UAE’s lone Olympic champion, their credentials of winning an Olympic medal seem even better.
At the 2012 London Olympic Games, Sheikh Ahmed’s protégé Peter Wilson won the double trap gold and Al Kaabi, who took up the sport less than three years ago, is hoping to keep that trend going in the same double trap event.
“This is my first Olympic Games,” said the Abu Dhabi Police First Warrant Officer, who has been training in Brazil along with his two UAE teammates since July 24 in a bid to get acclimatised to the conditions in Rio. “I believe there is no pressure on me as I am not expected to win a medal on my debut.
“So my focus will be on performance, and not on winning a medal or finishing on the podium. If I can keep it simple, focus on just my performance and not on the performance of those around me, stay calm and keep the nerves away, I think I can put up a good show.”
A good show could mean a medal, and not many people will be surprised if Al Kaabi does eventually end up on the podium. For, as Bin Futtais said, shooting is probably the only sport where the UAE are on the same level as the world’s best.
“We have sacrificed a lot in this journey to the Rio Olympics,” said Bin Futtais, who was an ace jet ski pilot before he switched to shooting, with Sheikh Saeed being his mentor. “We spent long periods of time away from our families, travelling for tournaments and camps.
“Now, our focus is doing the best we can to make the country proud. Of course, nobody can promise a medal because winning an Olympic medal depends on so many things. But what I can promise the UAE sports fans is I will do my best in Rio, represent my country to the fullest of my abilities, irrespective of whether I win a medal or not.
“The most important thing for me will be to make sure I return from Rio knowing I have done by best as a representative of the UAE. I hope to make the fans proud.”
[ arizvi@thenational.ae ]
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ASIAN RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2024
Results
Hong Kong 52-5 UAE
South Korea 55-5 Malaysia
Malaysia 6-70 Hong Kong
UAE 36-32 South Korea
Fixtures
Friday, June 21, 7.30pm kick-off: UAE v Malaysia
At The Sevens, Dubai (admission is free).
Saturday: Hong Kong v South Korea
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Console: PlayStation 2 to 5
Rating: 5/5
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
Civil War
Director: Alex Garland
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, Nick Offerman
Rating: 4/5
'Brazen'
Director:+Monika Mitchell
Starring:+Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
'O'
Author: Zeina Hashem Beck
Pages: 112
Publisher: Penguin Books
Available: Now
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Charlie Hunnam
Rating: 2/5
Tomb Raider I–III Remastered
Developer: Aspyr
Publisher: Aspyr
Console: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, PC and Xbox series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Confirmed bouts (more to be added)
Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
Nick Diaz v Vicente Luque
Michael Chiesa v Tony Ferguson
Deiveson Figueiredo v Marlon Vera
Mackenzie Dern v Loopy Godinez
Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
