Doha: The entire sports fraternity in Qatar and the World Athletics mourned the death of star sprinter Abdalelah Haroun, who passed away today at the age of 24.
Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) announced the death on its Twitter handle without specifying the cause of his death, with World Athletics saying the former world junior champion ‘has died in a car crash’. Tributes poured in on the social media soon after the announcement.
“We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. Sincere condolences and great sympathy to the family of the deceased and to the Qatari sports family,” QOC Secretary-General Jassim Rashid Al Buenain tweeted today.
World Athletics also mourned the death of the former junior world champion, who won bronze in the 400 meters at the 2017 World Championships.
“World Athletics is deeply saddened to hear that Qatari sprinter Abdalelah Haroun, who won world 400m bronze in 2017, died on Saturday (26) at the age of 24,” the world's athletics governing body said on its website.
The Qatar Athletics Federation tweeted: “Qatar was well represented in the continental and international events by the star. Your memory will remain in our hearts forever.”
Reigning world high jump champion Mutaz Barshim also condoled the untimely death on his twitter handle, offering prayers for his team-mate.
The national record-holder with his best of 44.07 run in 2018, Haroun made his big breakthrough in 2015 when he won the Asian 400m title at the age of 18 and set an Asian U20 record of 44.27.
The following year he won the Asian indoor title before claiming his first global medal at the World Indoor Championships in Portland, where he secured silver.
He went to the World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz as favourite for gold, which he achieved in a time of 44.81 and made his Olympic debut in Rio the following month, reaching the semi-finals.
Back on the major stage in 2017, the then 20-year-old Haroun became the first Asian world 400m medallist as he finished fast to claim bronze behind Wayde van Niekerk and Steven Gardiner in London. “It is a very special moment for my country,” he said at the time. “...and an honour to take the bronze medal with me.” A torn hip tendon hampered his preparations for the 2019 World Athletics Championships on home soil in Doha, where he raced in the heats.
The oldest of five siblings, Haroun was born in Sudan, where he first enjoyed boxing and football. His sprinting potential was spotted by a teacher and aged 16, in his first ever 400m race, he ran 49 seconds.
Having an uncle living in Qatar, Haroun was advised by a coach to run for the Arabian country and he gained eligibility to represent the nation in 2015.
