From left: Qatari gymnasts Raslan Saoud, Ahmed Mosa and Ahmed Al Dayani speak to their coach during a training session at Aspire Dome.
Stage is set for another spectacular edition of the FIG ART Individual Apparatus World Cup Doha, which gets under way today at state-of-the-art Aspire Dome.
The four-day event will begin with the qualification rounds which will continue till tomorrow, with an array of leading stars of the sport targeting success in the Qatari capital.
The FIG World Cup in Doha is a continuation of the series which for the first time will determine direct berths in Olympics for gymnasts. The series will continue till March 2020.
The Qatar leg which is being held for the 12th consecutive year in Doha is one of the favourite stops for athletes, and with Olympic places at stake, this year’s edition has attracted a large number of gymnasts including several world champions.
A total of 128 male and 60 female gymnasts representing 57 countries are taking part in the annual contest.
Qatar Gymnastic Federation (QGF) President Ali Al Hitmi is confident that the Gulf state will raise the bar in hosting the top-notch events after it hosted the 48th FIG ART World Championships last October, hailed as the ‘best-ever’ edition.
“We are ready to host the World Cup in a spectacular fashion. Each of our team members is working hard to make this a successful event,” said Al Hitmi.
“Organising international sporting events is part of investing in human capital. It’s a part of Qatar National Vision 2030 which offers young Qatari athletes gain experience from such tournaments,” he added.
Finalists of 5 disciplines to be decided today
Today, the male gymnasts will battle for berths in finals of floor exercise, pommel horse and rings while female athletes will vie for places in vault and uneven bars finals.
The men’s qualification rounds for vault, parallel bars and horizontal bars will be held tomorrow along with women’s qualifications rounds for balance beam and floor exercise. The finals of the 10 disciplines are scheduled in the last two days of the World Cup.
Qatar is fielding three gymnasts including Ahmed Al Dayani, Ahmed Mosa and Raslan Saoud in the event.
Big names who will feature in the event includes world champions Xiao Ruoteng (CHN), Zou Jingyuan (CHN) and Epke Zonderland (NED).
Zonderland has already won two events in Cottbus, the end of last year and last week at Baku and if he reigns supreme again in Doha this week, he would have already punched his ticket to Tokyo.
“After my victory in Cottbus - at the end of last year - and now Baku, Olympic qualification goal is almost achieved. I also finished second in Melbourne last month. You receive 30 points per win.
Out of the maximum number of 90 points, I now have 85 in my pocket. After Baku, the pressure is off me now. And that’s nice. This is a giant step towards the Tokyo Games,” he said.
“Of course there is always the possibility that someone else gets the same number of points. In that case, the highest score achieved in an apparatus counts so that means that I will go for a high score during the World Cup in Doha,” he added.
World’s oldest Olympian Oksana Chusovitina, 43, (UZB), who is targeting her record eighth appearance at the Games, will also be competing here. Belgium’s reigning world champion Nina Derwael also comprises the stellar cast.
Fans wishing to attend can purchase tickets from the sales outlets and on the official website of the tournament.
