Today marks the close of the West Asian Athletics Championships in the UAE
“Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim” crowned king of the high jump at the West Asian Championships
Our world champion shows off his skills and breaks the championship record
Al Hamad presents gold and bronze medals to Barshim, Al Kerbi and Muthanna
Tonight brings the final scene for Qatar’s champions in the track and field challenge
Dubai dispatch – Salah Al Haj
Major General Dahlan Jumaan Al Hamad, deputy president of the international and Asian athletics federations and president of the Qatar Athletics Federation, crowned Qatari high jumper and Olympic champion Mutaz Essa Barshim winner of the high jump at the West Asian Athletics Championships, currently being held in the United Arab Emirates in the city of Dubai at the Officers Club track and field venue in the Al Qarhoud area. Our gold medallist “Barshim” climbed to the top of the podium with a gold-winning jump of 2.32m, taking first place deservedly and setting a new championship record, while his younger brother Moammar Barshim finished fifth with 2.25m. Runner-up and silver medallist was Iranian jumper Keyvan Rezadeh with 2.20m, Syria’s Majd Eddin Ghazal took third with 2.15m, and Kuwait’s Ibrahim Sayyar Al Anzi came fourth also with 2.15m, while the UAE’s Ali Faisal Ghuloom finished sixth with a clearance
of 2.10m, his compatriot Sayed Ali Abbas was seventh with a jump of 2.05m, and Iraq’s Sinan Adnan was eighth with a clearance of 2.00m
The Olympic champion shows off his skills.
As usual, Qatari high jumper and Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim thrilled the Emirati and Asian crowds in the high jump, putting on a superb display of the art of high jumping and confirming his class in the event. “Barshim” imposed his style and superior ability from the very start of a competition featuring seven other rivals, in addition to his younger brother Moammar, all of whom competed to clear the bar up to 2.25m, a height they failed to get over — leaving Mutaz Barshim alone at the top, going up against the bar by himself and clearing jump after jump up to 2.32m. He then attempted to clear the bar at 2.35m in a new attempt but failed, after which coach Stanley asked him to stop, feeling he was physically fatigued, so he claimed the gold deservedly, continuing his run of Asian and world success.
Relay team fourth
Qatar’s quartet in the 4x100m relay final — sprinters Samuel Francis, Eid Abdullah Al Kuwari, Ali Hassan Anbar Al Jassim and Saif Sabah Khairallah — took fourth place, clocking 40.72 seconds, while the Iranian quartet won gold in 40.26 seconds, Oman’s quartet took silver in 40.31 seconds, and Kuwait’s quartet finished third in 40.61 seconds. Qatar’s quartet put in a fair performance and could have done better, but the one consolation is that the young Qatari relay team has a future ahead of it and is still developing and gaining the international experience needed for relay racing.
Today: the closing session
Today brings down the curtain on the West Asian Athletics Championships, with the Officers Club track and field venue in Dubai hosting 16 finals for men and women, as follows: first, the men’s events (half marathon final, pole vault, long jump, 400m hurdles, 200m, discus throw, 800m, 5000m, 4x400m relay final); second, the women’s events (final, discus throw, 400m hurdles, 3000m steeplechase, heptathlon 800m final, 200m final, 4x400m relay final)
Qatar’s line-up for today’s finals
Our champions take on today’s closing challenge at the West Asian Championships armed with the will and determination to deliver their best and most creditable performance. The returning giant Ahmad Deeb competes in the discus final, sprinter Samuel Francis in the 200m semi-final in the morning session — and, if he qualifies, in the evening final — and Jabr Khalifa Abdullah Jaber in the pole vault final, while our participation concludes with sprinter
Jamal Abdulnasser Omar Abubaker in the 400m hurdles final
Dahlan Al Hamad: We congratulate our champions on their achievements
Our ambitions for the future are great and we trust in the ability of our ambassadors 
Major General Dahlan Al Hamad, deputy president of the International and Asian Athletics Federations and President of the Qatar Athletics Federation, congratulated Qatar’s champions on their gold achievements at the West Asian Athletics Championships, currently being held in the city of Dubai, which conclude tonight with world champion Barshim, veteran Al Kerbi and young Hussein among the gold medallists. He said they had produced an outstanding effort and deserved to be crowned and to embrace Asian glory, stressing that these gains and rewards had not come out of nowhere but were the fruit of work, dedication and effort from everyone, especially our talented champions and those overseeing the technical and administrative set-up of the national teams. He noted that our teams’ progress was proceeding as planned to achieve their goals, and that this quality participation undoubtedly came as part of preparations for the important challenges ahead and to gauge the readiness of some champions as the coaches wished, expressing his optimism and confidence in the ability of Qatar’s athletes to represent and honour their country, saying our ambitions for the future are great and we trust in the ability and qualifications of our sporting ambassadors. He closed by once again congratulating the champions and members of the Qatari administrative, technical and medical delegation, praising everyone’s effort in flying the Qatari flag high at international events.
Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim: the Asian achievement is motivation to do better
Gold medallist Mutaz Barshim expressed his happiness and pride at the West Asian gold, saying it had come at a good time with the start of his sporting season, as he achieved 2.32m — an achievement in itself, especially as he was in a preparation period for a season full of competitions and challenges. He said the competition had been strong, especially as he knew well that everyone had come to challenge and try to beat an Olympic champion, so he was determined not to make mistakes and to win with the least effort possible — thank God for the victory. Barshim thanked and praised Dahlan Al Hamad for his continued support and encouragement, and dedicated the achievement to the whole athletics federation family, represented by the board members and those overseeing the technical set-up led by Khalifa Abdulmalik, his coach Stanley and his own family, as well as fans and lovers of Qatari athletics.
World-class coach Stanley Selaf: Mutaz’s achievement is impressive so early in the season
Swedish world-class coach Stanley Selaf praised the performance and achievement of Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim at the start of his new sporting season, saying that Mutaz’s clearance of 2.32m at this stage was a positive sign of our promising champion Barshim’s ability, noting that he had claimed gold with minimal effort and had been content to stop at 2.32m once he had secured the gold. He said they would continue their preparations for the challenges ahead, most importantly the 2013 Moscow World Championships, wishing everyone success in honouring Qatari athletics.
Al Hamad presents medals to Barshim and Al Kerbi
Major General Dahlan Al Hamad, deputy president of the International and Asian Athletics Federations and President of the Qatar Athletics Federation, was pleased to honour our gold medal-winning champions — Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim, holder of the high jump gold, veteran champion Mabrouk Al Kerbi, winner of the 20km walk gold, and Hussein Muthanna, winner of the walk bronze — presenting them with their medals as the national anthem was played twice over the skies of Dubai amid overwhelming joy among the medallists and members of the Qatari delegation
The Olympic champion and his coach leave Dubai
After the conclusion of the high jump final, our Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim and his coach Stanley left Dubai for Doha to continue their preparations, following the strict training and preparation schedule overseen by world-class coach Stanley, who is meticulous in every organisational, administrative and training matter and leaves nothing to chance. Mutaz Barshim’s next scheduled participation is the Arab Military Athletics Championships in Sudan at the end of this December.
Al Ishaq at the championships
Mrs Maryam Al Ishaq, mother of “Saud”, a former board member of the Qatar Athletics Federation and director of the girls’ centre, made a point of being in Dubai to support Qatar’s team and cheer on our champions, meeting with the Qatari delegation and congratulating the champions on their achievements, urging them to give even more to honour their country at the Asian event.
