Casa Arabe is committed to being a meeting point between Spain and the Arab world
uae5 hours ago
He could be called the 'Father' of athletics in the UAE. He has been a part of the sport for over 43 years now - right from the time he participated as an athlete for the national team over 21 years to holding the post of President of the UAE Athletics Federation (UAEAF) for the third successive term. And, Ahmad Al Kamali has pinned hopes on teenager Khaled Khalil to bring glory to the UAE in 3000m steeplechase event.
"I think if I was not the president of the federation, I would sponsor Khalid (Khalil). Some day if I am out of the federation I will sponsor him. I'm expecting him to be a very big name by 2024. He is the one to watch and is sure to go very far," Al Kamali, who is eyeing the post of vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), told Khaleej Times.
Discussing the UAE roadmap for the forthcoming Asian Games and the 2020 Olympics, he said: "Then there is Zayed Al Shamsi from Al Ain. He runs 13.43seconds in 110m hurdles. He is quite a strong runner.
"I am expecting very fast times from our athletes in the coming three months. Our target is the podium in the next Asian Games which is exactly a year away."
Kamali says it is not his responsibility to make someone a champion. "It's not only my responsibility, it should start from the athlete's home, his parents, the society, the ministry of sports, from the chairman of the Olympic committee.
"If the society doesn't help then at the end of the day I have failed.
"If someone comes forward and says I will sponsor the boy from now to 2020 that's the real support.
"In the 12 years that I have been in charge of the UAEAF I can say that in the last 10 years we have done quite good. You name it, and our athletes have won medals in all events in Asian, Pan Arab and West Asia competitions.
"At international level we qualified for the 2012 London Olympics, Rio Olympics and also two athletes qualified for the World Championships Cross Country.
"Two of our athletes have qualified for the London World Championships. So the federation has done quite well. At the moment we are working with a big number of juniors and we are hoping by 2020 Olympics we will have at least five athletes who will qualify to Tokyo and two or three that will make it to the final and hopefully win a medal. That's our target.
"It's not difficult, we are working very hard towards it. We have high calibre coaches now. Former Olympic gold medallist and world champion Said Aouita, of Morocco, is coaching the boys so we are hoping to get some good results.
"Khaled is promising junior 3000m steeplechase runner. He is only 17 years. He is still at the preparation level so we can't hang the coach and say we want faster times. But in 2018 we will put a gun on the coach's head (saying it with a smirk on his face) to bring a medal in the Asian Games. And in 2020 Olympics we have to go to the final (in 3000m steeplechase), that's our target."
Talking about the roadmap for youngsters, Kamali said: "We have already started an Olympic programme to build future athletes. But we can't compare ourselves to China or India because we are talking of 1.2 to 1.3 billion people so these counties have more options. For instance, when it comes to China if they need 10,000 runners for 800 metres, they get 12,00 runners. But for me if I need three or four athletes for 800 metres, I have just 20 athletes maximum, or even less than that, so my choice becomes limited."
Being an athlete himself, Al Kamali felt athletics is a poor people's event.
"If you don't feel you are hungry you cannot become a champion. If as an athlete I am driving a BMW or a Rolls-Royce I will never become a world champion.
"I came across some Ethiopians who personally asked me to support them with food, and now they are the best athletes in the world," he confided.
DUBAI MARATHON
Dubai Marathon is a long story. We started on November 27, 1998. I have seen the ups and downs of this event. We started with 50 runners and currently we are close to 36,000 runners. From a prize money of Dhs 10,000 to close to $1.2 million now.
With strong support from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and his office, in terms of prize money we are No. 1. Only the world record time is missing from the Dubai Marathon. In the last 5 to 6 years a lot of marathons reduced their prize money so we are still shining," he said with a broad smile.
"But as far as the largest event is concerned it's the London Marathon and we cannot be compared to them because officially they have 53,000 and unofficially 73,000 participants.
However, Dubai is a city where there is a lot of changes. Last year was a difficult year as suddenly the bridge came in the middle. We were planning everything for the world record but the bridge, in my opinion for the timing sake, killed the run. But we still had a time of 2.04 which is very good.
Recently Mo Farah, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medallist in both the 5000 and 10,000 metres, announced that the London World Championships would be his last event and henceforth would only run in marathons. Al Kamali was asked if he was their target for the next Dubai Marathon.
"I have a personal relationship with him. Marathon around the world has become a business, whoever offers top prize money will get top athletes. We had great runners runners like Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele run in Dubai. We hope Farah too will come and run here very soon. We do have him on our agenda. It could be a fight between us and London but we do hope to see him run in Dubai."
Dubai Women's Run
"Our next baby which we are trying to promote, although it is in its eighth year, is the Dubai Women's Run which will be held this coming November. In 2008 when I joined the federation, women's athletics was prohibited. I was the one to introduce women's athletics at that time. We had two women athletes by 2009 that went on to win gold in the Asian Games.
"Last year the Dubai Women's Run was the top three events in the UAE. It was awarded as one of the best and largest one-day event in Dubai. Just imagine we had almost around 70,000 people at the finishing area. The organisers are targeting 10,000 participants this year but I won't be surprised if we cross 12,000. I believe that anything for women in the UAE will be a big success because it gets good support from the government and private sectors.
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