Sheikh Ahmed backs UAE Olympic contingent to reflect leadership's vision for sports sector

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the National Olympic Committee, acknowledged the tremendous support provided by the country’s leadership to the sports sector as exemplified in the care and attention bestowed on promising athletes in various disciplines.

"The leadership’s vision for the sports sector had inspired UAE athletes to strive for success at the international level and register impressive achievements in various sporting arenas, including the Olympics, where athletes from across the world strive to outdo one another while upholding the noble values and ideals of the Olympic movement," Sheikh Ahmed said.

"The leadership’s vision is also reflected in the National Olympic Committee’s keenness to promote a sports development model that consistently churns out new talent and sets high standards of excellence, he said. The sports development model is also geared to help national cadres constantly improve on their performances and ultimately come away winners on the global stage and fly the UAE flag high," he added.

Sheikh Ahmed’s statement comes in the backdrop of the UAE’s participation in the 33rd Olympic Games in Paris with Sheikh Ahmed directing the officials in charge of the national contingent to ensure UAE athletes had access to the best facilities and support teams right through the Games so that they could give their very best in all competitions.

He also expressed his gratitude to all national sports bodies and institutions for inspiring the Olympic dream by helping prepare the national contingent for the Paris 2024 Games.

Sheikh Ahmed also applauded the efforts and accomplishments of UAE athletes at the Olympics over the 40 years since the country’s inaugural participation in the Los Angeles Games in 1984.

UAE athletes at the Olympics had left a lasting impression with their determination to fly the national flag high and write glorious chapters for the country at the biggest international sporting stage, he said.

Sheikh Ahmed said that the hard-won achievements of UAE athletes at the Olympics remained a source of immense national pride with successive generations of athletes drawing upon the defining performances of their inspirational sporting icons to further enrich the country’s Olympic journey.

UAE sporting contingents had steadily raised the bar over the years with renewed ambition to transition from being mere contestants to finish on the podium and fly the flag high, he said.

Sheikh Ahmed said that national sports federations deserved all the credit for preparing the ground for the national contingent at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, having put in place clear plans and intensifying preparations since the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to ensure qualification marks in various events and getting athletes in the perfect frame of mind for the Games.

The Games marks a return to the same city after 100 years and will feature 32 individual and team events, involving 10,500 athletes from all over the world across 329 competitions over 19 days.

Commending the effort that had gone into the UAE contingent’s preparation for the 33rd Olympic Games, Sheikh Ahmed also applauded the UAE Olympic House initiative being promoted on the sidelines of the event to boost the participation of national cadres across various sporting disciplines.

The UAE National Olympic Committee seeks to highlight the initiative through a ‘house’ concept that embodies the essence of the traditional Emirati home. Touching upon the initiative, Sheikh Ahmed said, "We are pleased to showcase the concept of the UAE Olympic House coinciding with our team’s participation in the Paris Olympics. The concept serves as a beacon of national heritage, culture, and history during a global event that is followed far and wide. It is an opportunity to showcase our heritage, achievements, and accomplishments as a nation, and also the nobility of our leaders and people.”

Sheikh Ahmed also highlighted the significant roles assigned to UAE entities and cadres in relation to the global event on the strength of their reputation.

He applauded UAE police personnel deployed across various locations to secure events during the Games, saying it reflected the global confidence in the UAE’s ability to successfully organise mega events.

He added, "We appreciate the untiring efforts of various UAE sports and public entities in supporting the national contingent at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Representing the nation is a noble goal and rallying around its flag is a duty that Binds everyone at all times.”

Sheikh Ahmed directed the delegation accompanying the UAE sporting contingent at the Games to provide the athletes all necessary means and resources so that they could pursue the Olympic dream in earnest and record remarkable feats as witnessed during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, which witnessed Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hasher Al Maktoum’s gold medal winning performance in the double trap shooting event, giving the UAE its first ever Olympic medal.

The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is also worth remembering as Sergiu Toma, a member of the national judo team, won the bronze medal in the under 81 kg category.

The UAE contingent to the Paris Olympics includes 14 athletes who are accompanied by 24 administrators, technicians, and therapists. UAE athletes will compete in five disciplines, namely equestrian, judo, cycling, swimming, and athletics.

The equestrian team, which will participate in the show jumping competition, includes Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzooqi, Ali Al Kirbi, and Salem Al Suwaidi.

The national judo team consists of five male and one female athlete: Narmand Bayan in the under 66 kg category, Talal Shveili in the under 81 kg category, Aram Grigorian in the under 90 kg category, Dhafir Aram in the under 100 kg category, Omar Marouf in the over 100 kg category, and Besharat Khoroudi in the women's lightweight category under 52 kg.

Safiya Al Sayegh will represent the UAE in the cycling competitions, competing in the road race event, making her the first Emirati athlete to qualify for the Olympics in cycling.

Swimmer Yousuf Rashid Al Matrooshi will compete in the 100m freestyle, and swimmer Maha Abdullah Al Shehi will compete in the 200m freestyle, while Mariam Mohammed Al Farsi will compete in the 100m sprint.

The Games’ opening ceremony takes place on Friday on the River Seine at 21:30 UAE time and will see the UAE flag carried aloft by Omar Al Marzouqi and Safiya Al Sayegh.

For the very first time, the opening ceremony is to be held outside a stadium, with a total of 94 boats carrying 10,500 athletes across a 6-km route in a ceremony that will last 3 hours and 45 minutes.

WAM