UAE’s Noura Al Ketbi bags gold, Iraq’s Ahmed sets new record

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

It was a good day for the hosts UAE at the Dubai 2022 World Para Athletics Grand Prix — 13th Fazza International Para Athletics Championships — with throwers grabbing the limelight on the second day of competitions at the Dubai Club for People of Determination grounds.

Rio Paralympic silver medallist Noura Al Ketbi led the medals charge for UAE winning the gold in shot put wheelchair women F32 final, getting a distance of 6.07m.

Noura, who had a fourth place finish at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, saved the best for the last to finish ahead of Algeria's Mounia Gasmi (5.74 m) and fellow UAE thrower Thekra Alkaabi (4.26 m).

After two days of competitions, UAE sat in 13th place with eight medals. Colombia was on top of the medals table with 13 medals that had six gold, ahead of Thailand (16) and Tunisia (7).

Rio 2016 Paralympic bronze medallist Sara Al Jneibi threw the shot put to a distance of 5.79m enough to take the silver in women’s shot put wheelchair F34 behind Asmahane Boudjadar (6.42 m) who took the gold in F34 category.

Aljneibi’s fellow thrower Ansaf Alnuaimi managed a distance of 6.63 m for the bronze.

Discus thrower Abdulla Mesbahi added another silver for UAE on the second day of competitions with an effort of 22.19 m in discus wheelchair men final F54/55 finals. Syria’s Wasim Alrezk (31.26 m) took the gold in the F55 category.

In women’s discus final F40/41/44 finals, Maryam Alzeyoudi brought home a silver with her effort of 21.21m finishing behind Tunisia’s Raoua Tlili (33.77m).

Syria took their second gold in the day through visually impaired shot putter Ali Asaad who got a distance of 11.08m in the men's shot put F11/20 final.

The day also witnessed one world record in men’s javelin F40 when Iraq’s Naas Ahmed hurled the javelin to a distance of 39.08 m to take the gold, also an Asian record.

Among the top names, Switzerland legend Marcel Hug (2:54,74 min) started his campaign at the Championships with a gold medal in the men's 1500m wheelchair T54 race.

Great Britain’s women’s wheelchair racing legend Hannah Cockroft ran in 17.36 sec to clinch her second gold of the competition, this time in 100 m wheelchair women final T34/53.

Likewise, Thailand’s wheelchair Paralympic star Pongsakorn Paeyo claimed his second gold in the Dubai 2022 event racing in 14.43 sec in men’s 100 m wheelchair T53 final.

The Championships, hosted under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, kicked off the World Para Athletics’ Grand Prix season with around 500 para-athletes from 43 nations in action at the Dubai Club for People of Determination grounds this week.