Dahlan Jamaan Al Hamad, (center) President of Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF), is seen with Mohammad Suleiman, acting director of local organising committee (left), and Fahad Al Hajri, head of television and media committee, during a press conference at Al Bidda Tower in Doha yesterday.PICTURE: ADBUL BASIT
DOHA: Qatar’s London Games star Mutaz Barshim will lead the charge for medals for the hosts at the 14th GCC Athletics Championships to be held in Doha next month.
Dahlan Al Hamad, President, Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF), yesterday confirmed the presence of the country’s bronze-winning athlete at the three-day event.
“Mutaz will be the biggest name for the hosts at the GCC Athletics Championships,” Al Hamad said in a press conference.
Barshim, 21, was one of three bronze winning athletes in the men’s high jump final at the imposing Olympic Stadium on August 7 last year. The young Qatari won the bronze in front of 80,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium.
Mohamed Suleiman was the first Qatari to win a medal at the Olympic Games, bagging a bronze in the men’s 1500m final in 1992 (Barcelona)
Last year, Barshim became the second Qatari to win a medal in track and field events at the Olympic Games.
“Qatar will have more than 50 athletes competing in different events,” Al Hamad said yesterday.
The QAF president said more than 200 athletes from neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman will join Qatari track and field names at the April 8-10 event.
The three-day championships will be held at Khalifa Stadium, Al Hamad said. This will be the second time that Qatar would be hosting the regional showpiece athletics championships after 1986.
Qatar secured second place in the 13th GCC Athletics Championship for men and fourth in the GCC Athletics Championship for juniors staged in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 2011.
Some 350 athletes from six GCC nations competed in various disciplines during the four-day championships.
Qatar bagged eight medals including 5 golds, 1 silver and 2 bronze to finish in second place behind hosts Saudi Arabia.
Abu Baker Ali Kamal clinched gold medal in 3000m steeplechase while Barshim grabbed the high jump gold.
Later next month, QAF will also organise Heir Apparent Athletics Cup and the Emir Athletics Cup.
On May 10, the QAF will assemble top names like Yohan Blake of Jamaica and David Rudhisha of Kenya for the one-day Samsung Diamond League season-opener at Qatar Sports Club Stadium.
Al Hamad said QAF refrains from putting pressure on their athletes to win medals.
“Our federation tries to support them, prepare them for the big events and bring the athletes to the starting blocks, so as to say,” Al Hamad said.
“We don’t put them under pressure. We give them every support and then let them be on their own in competition so they are able to give their best,” he added.
Junior athletes from the region will also compete in various disciplines, Al Hamad said.
THE PENINSULA
