Tokyo Olympics: Six athletes to represent UAE at 2020 Games

Dubai - UAE's best medal prospects at the Tokyo Game are Victor Scvortov and Ivan Remarenco

Six athletes will represent UAE at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, the National Olympic Committee announced on Tuesday.

The pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games will get underway on July 23 and the closing ceremony will be held on August 8.

Ahmed Al Tayeb, Director of the Technical and Sports Affairs of the National Olympic Committee, said the 18-member UAE delegation will feature six athletes.

Saif Bin Futtais will start the UAE campaign in Tokyo when he takes part in the skeet shooting competition on July 25.

Judoka Victor Scvortov, bronze medallist at the 2014 World Judo Championships and the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, will defend UAE colours in the 73kg category on July 26.

Then Yousuf Al Matrooshi, the rising UAE star, will make his Olympic debut in the pool when he competes in the 100-metre freestyle event.

Ivan Remarenco, the second judoka in the UAE team and a bronze medallist at the 2014 World Judo Championships, will participate in the over 100-kg event on July 30.

In the track and field events, UAE sprint star Hassan Al Noubi will run in the 100-metre event on July 31, while Fatima Al Hosani will participate in the discus throw.

Ahmed Al Tayeb was named the head of the UAE delegation.

Meanwhile, UAE’s international volleyball referee, Hamed Mohammed Al Russi Al Hammadi, has been invited to join the management team for volleyball matches at the Tokyo Games.

While expressing his confidence in the team, Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the National Olympic Committee, said UAE’s athletes would perform at their very best in the world’s most prestigious multi-sport event.

UAE’s best medal prospects at the Tokyo Game are Victor Scvortov and Ivan Remarenco who have both own medals at the highest level in judo.

It was in the judo event that UAE won their only medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics when Sergiu Toma claimed a bronze in the men’s 81kg event.

UAE’s best performance in the Summer Games came at the 2004 Athens Olympics when Sheikh Ahmad bin Mohammad bin Hasher Al Maktoum won the gold medal at the double trap event in shooting.

Meanwhile, Yousuf Al Matrooshi, the 18-year-old swimmer from Dubai, is brimming with excitement ahead of his Olympic debut.

“I am very excited to represent UAE. I am training very well. I hope I will represent my country in the best way possible. My ambition is to compete in at least three Olympics. I want to be the first Emirati to compete in three consecutive Olympics,” Al Matrooshi recently told Khaleej Times in an interview.

Al Matrooshi is not worried about the result in the pool at the 2020 Tokyo Games. He says the Olympics will be a great learning experience for him ahead of other premier international events, including the Fina World Swimming Championships (December) which will be held in Abu Dhabi.

“Olympics will be an important experience that will help develop my skills,” he said.

“The feeling of winning gold medals, breaking records, being recognised, is a great feeling. I have been training with my coach. I hope to give my best.”