With a personal haul of three silver medals and one bronze, the recently concluded IPC Athletics World Championships at Doha was a huge success for the UAE’s Mohammed Al Hammadi.
But he is still hungry for more.
The wheelchair sprint champion’s performances are peaking ahead of next year’s Rio Olympics.
“The level of events was very high as its almost less than one year to Rio 2016 Paralympic Games,” he said. “For me it was one of the very important aims in my career. I tested my readiness and the efficiency of my preparation to Rio 2016. Most of the athletes competing in my class [T34] will be present in the next Paralympic Games.”
Al Hammadi’s success at Doha came on the back of four medals – gold in the 100 metres, silver in 400m and 800m and bronze in 200m – at the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports (IWAS) World Games 2015 in Russia in September and October.
“In Sochi it was different. The competition was a very good preparation for Doha,” said Al Hammadi, a member of Al Thiqa Club at Sharjah. “It was a good level, but less than that at Doha.”
Wheelchair and disabled sports in the UAE have gained attention over the past few years, in large thanks to the efforts of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, to bring them into the mainstream.
“Yes, it’s better than before, but still less than expected,” said Al Hammadi, who lost both legs to polio as a child.
“We know that there are disabled people who aren’t involved in clubs and their activities, especially those who were injured and become disabled after car accidents.
“I would like to call and invite them to participate in sports and clubs activities, and become productive people in the society. Life doesn’t end for them after what they suffered from.”
Al Hammadi, 30, said that the stigma of disability needs to be banished.
“Certainly the support is requested to do more for the disabled people from different parts of the society,” he said. “There should be an awareness in society that disability is not a sickness, and disabled people can accomplish a lot for the development of UAE in different fields.
“The UAE Rulers do a lot of things to make disabled people’s life much easier. It’s my hope that my different successes will contribute to getting disabled people out of their homes and inspiring them to participate in sports activities and do better than me.
“I hope that I can contribute in the future for their success in life and sports.”
Al Hammadi rates his performances at the 2012 Paralympics in London as the biggest achievement of his career, when he returned home with a silver in the men’s 200m race and bronze in the 100m sprint.
“It was the first time in my life I competed in a huge stadium and was watched by about 80,000 spectators,” he said. “It was an exciting experience in my career. ” Al Hammadi is hoping for more medals in Rio.
“I have planned with my coach Obaid Alzaabi to get ready for the Games,” he said.
“We will compete only in two events selected by the International Paralympic committee, which are 100m and 800m.
“For me it’s a simple question: I will compete in only two events which means only two chances of medals.
“For the UAE team I cannot predict what the chances for athletes in different sports are but my hope is that we will win more medals than at London 2012.”
akhaled@thenational.ae
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Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
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Scoreline
Man Utd 2 Pogba 27', Martial 49'
Everton 1 Sigurdsson 77'
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
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 Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
