Qatari fighter Abubaker Ali Kamal claimed the gold medal in the 3000m steeplechase in Qatar’s opening event at the 19th Asian Athletics Championships, hosted by the Japanese city of Kobe with the participation of more than 40 Asian countries, including 12 Arab nations, each fielding its best champions in the fastest, highest and furthest events to compete for the coloured medals. The 3000m steeplechase was full of rivalry and challenge among the continent’s champions, and our champion Abubaker Ali Kamal overcame his rivals, clocking a time of 8:30.23 minutes. Kazakhstan’s Artem Kosinov finished runner-up in 8:35.11, while Bahrain’s Tareq Mubarak took third in 8:45.47, while the other Bahraini, Edwin Chebii Kimeimo, was disqualified.
The exciting Asian competitions continue today, with our champions Mutaz Essa Barshim and Rashed Al Mannai taking part in the high jump final alongside a constellation of the continent’s stars. The competition is expected to see the peak of the challenge among Asia’s leading high jumpers, and our champion Mutaz Essa Barshim is a strong contender for the gold in the high jump. Mutaz had been in a training camp in Sweden in preparation for the Asian Championships in Japan, aiming for a new gold achievement for Qatar’s national team. The Qatari delegation to Japan is headed by Adel Al Baker, secretary general of the Qatar Athletics Federation, with Ali Ahmed as team manager, and includes the champions.. Mutaz Essa Barshim, Rashed Al Dosari, discus, Mubarak Al Noubi 400m hurdles, Samuel Francis 100m, Femi Ogunode 200m, 400m, Abubaker Ali Kamal 1500m, 3000m steeplechase, Hassan Aman 400m
For his part, Adel Al Baker, head of the delegation, expressed his great happiness at the gold achievement by champion Abubaker Ali Kamal in the 3000m steeplechase, noting that winning gold is nothing new or unusual for champion Abubaker. We dedicate this first gold achievement to the officials of the Olympic Committee and the family of Qatari athletics, and we wish our champions further success and brilliance in today’s events and further achievements befitting the reputation of Qatari athletics and the great attention and unlimited support it enjoys from HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Heir Apparent and chairman of the Qatar Olympic Committee. For his part, our champion Abubaker Ali Kamal expressed his great happiness at winning the 3000m steeplechase gold, noting that the competition was very strong and difficult, but with God’s grace and his own determination and resolve he managed to achieve victory with the gold medal. He added that he dedicates the gold achievement to the officials of the Olympic Committee, the athletics federation and the fans of athletics.
Barshim and Al Mannai in the high jump final
Meanwhile, the championship’s competitions continue today, with Qatar’s champions embarking on a new round of Asian challenge, with champions Mutaz Essa Barshim and Rashed Al Mannai taking part in the high jump final, amid expectations that the event will be strong and exciting, especially as most of the Asian champions are eager to compete against our superior champions on the field, with Barshim having recorded the season’s best mark of 2.32m, one of the toughest marks in world high jump, while sprinter Femi Ogunode competes in the heats of the 200m, Asia’s best sprinter and winner of two golds at the Guangzhou Games in China.
