UAE golfers win two golds, a silver and a bronze at Arab Championship

The UAE national golf teams returned from Cairo with four medals, comprising two golds, one silver and one bronze, following a strong showing at the Arab Golf Championship for Youth, Juniors, U13 and Girls.

The championship was held from October 6 to 10 at Madinaty Golf Club and Mirage City Golf Club in the Egyptian capital, bringing together 120 players from 13 Arab nations.

The UAE were represented by seven male and female players across the different age categories.

The UAE’s medal haul included three individual honours: gold for Aassiya Saleem and bronze for Sara Ali Abubaker in the Girls’ U21 category, and silver for Neyl Cherrat in the Boys’ U21 competition.

The Girls’ U21 team also claimed gold in the team event, the only team competition contested by the UAE delegation.

The UAE delegation was headed by Major General Pilot (Ret.) Abdullah Al Sayed Al Hashemi, President of the Emirates Golf Federation, and included Khalid Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Federation, coach Faisal Serghini, and the seven participating players.

The UAE delivered an impressive performance in the Girls’ U21 competition, with Aassiya Saleem taking first place and the gold medal with a total of 206 strokes, seven under par.

Saleem finished 19 strokes ahead of Palestine’s Yasmine Thaher, who claimed silver.

Sara Ali Abubaker secured third place and the bronze medal with a total of 77 strokes, 17 over par, finishing one stroke behind Thaher. The result underlined the ability of the UAE’s young female golfers to compete at the highest level against some of the Arab world’s leading emerging talents.

In the team competition, the UAE Girls’ U21 side won gold with a combined total of 436 strokes, 10 over par, ahead of Tunisia in second place with 489 strokes and Egypt in third with 520.

In the Boys’ U21 individual competition, Neyl Cherrat finished runner-up to claim the silver medal with a total of 216 strokes, seven over par.

Cherrat finished five strokes behind Oman’s Ahmed Al Wahibi, who took the title, while Egypt’s Mohamed Aboul Ula finished third after leading the competition following the opening day.

Cherrat’s silver came after a closely contested championship against players from across the participating nations, adding another medal to the UAE’s tally despite competing only in the individual event.

UAE player Mohammed Thabet also competed individually, finishing 13th with a total of 242 strokes.

The championship also marked the first competitive appearance for the UAE’s U13 players Zayed Ali, Saif Lootah and Zayed Al Maazmi.

Competing in their first championship, the young trio showed promising ability and a clear appetite for competition. Their participation represented an important first step in gaining tournament experience and developing the foundations required to produce the UAE’s next generation of golfers.

The appearance forms part of the Emirates Golf Federation’s wider efforts to expand the game’s player base, develop national talent and provide young golfers with opportunities to compete against different playing styles across Arab and international championships.

The federation continues to focus on building experience across the age groups, strengthening preparation for future competitions and ensuring the UAE maintains a sustainable presence at both regional and international level.

Major General Pilot (Ret.) Abdullah Al Sayed Al Hashemi praised the achievements of the UAE players, saying the results reflect the continued development of golf in the country and strengthen the UAE’s presence on Arab championship podiums.

He said the performances would provide further motivation to continue developing national talent and creating the conditions for young players to reach their full potential.

Al Hashemi congratulated the national team players, coaches and officials, praising their performances, competitive spirit and the way they represented the UAE throughout the championship. He also recognised the efforts of everyone involved in preparing and supporting the players.

He thanked the Egyptian Golf Federation for hosting and organising the championship, as well as the Arab Golf Federation for its continued efforts to support and develop competition across the region.

Al Hashemi said the performances of Aasiya Saleem, Neyl Cherrat and Sara Ali Abubaker, together with the Girls’ U21 team gold, demonstrate that the UAE has a promising pool of talent capable of continuing to achieve success and raise the national flag on the regional and international stage.

He added that the championship debuts of Zayed Ali, Saif Lootah and Zayed Al Maazmi showed encouraging potential and a strong desire to compete, stressing that the Federation will continue investing in this generation and supporting their development as part of its long-term commitment to producing future champions and sustaining the UAE’s competitive presence.