Doha, 05 April 2012: Most athletes dream of standing atop the podium and having the Olympic gold medal placed around their neck. But for the vast majority, that dream remains out of reach, as only 0.01% of athletes ever see their dreams come true. Every athlete knows that there is only room for one person atop the podium, and nothing but talent, hard work and determination to win can help them achieve that dream.
Sprinter Nour Hussein Al Malki, 17, from Doha, already knows that medals are beyond her reach at the London Olympic Games.
But regardless of the result, Nour Al Malki will be considered the “pioneer” who broke down barriers when she took a huge step towards the track of the London Olympic Stadium.
It is worth noting that this sprinter will earn her fame as the first Qatari girl to be named an Olympian by the Qatari Olympic team, alongside swimmer Nada Arkaji.
Give me a break, coach!
Young athlete Nour Al Malki’s journey began 4 years ago.
After being picked out by her school, “in her own words,” Nour Al Malki began training immediately in 2008 as part of a group of six athletes under the guidance of Tunisian coach Naima Ben Amara, a former international middle-distance runner with eight years of experience since 2004, having started her career in her home country of Tunisia, where she went through numerous training courses over those years in Tunisia, Cairo and Leipzig.
The fast Qatari sprinter explained: “After a year of training I had to stop for four months for personal reasons. Later I took another break and then resumed training.”
On Nour Al Malki’s talent, coach Ben Amara said: “Nour has great talent. From the moment I met her she gave me the impression that she would one day become a professional athlete. She began her career running 100 metres in 15.13 seconds, then lowered her personal best after stopping training twice to run the same distance in 12.73 seconds. She rarely used to show up for training and did not understand the importance of following a continuous training programme.”
But all that is in the past, as things have changed and all Nour now lacks is consistency:
Coach Naima added: “Things went well last year. I don’t blame her for what happened in the past, as she had no sporting background at all, especially since she was forced to stop training twice for personal reasons.”
Naima affirmed that the relationship between them is not merely a coach-athlete relationship, but goes deeper than that, saying:
“I have a friendly relationship with Nour and her family. I visit them often, and a very strong bond has formed between us.”
Balancing athletic training and schoolwork is not an easy matter. Sooner or later, one has to decide which path is safer for achieving success and excellence. It seems that Nour has managed to strike a balance for now, saying:
“I try to achieve balance and good performance both athletically and academically. I train for an hour and a half a day. I don’t have more time than that because my parents care about my studies, despite also caring about my sporting life.”
Nour surprised by London call-up
Nour Hussein Al Malki has won several national and regional titles and earned numerous accolades, and her success helped her win the “Best Athlete” award for the 2010-2011 season.
Nour has been keen to win local tournaments, but there is a huge gap between competing at the GCC level and at the Olympic Games. Asked about her reaction when she learned of her Olympic selection, she said:
“I was surprised and felt thrilled, I did not expect this honour. I feel very happy that I will represent my country in London. I know this will be a heavy responsibility, but I will do my best to improve my personal skills. I will train hard to achieve my goal.”
The call-up was also unexpected for coach Naima
“It was a very pleasant surprise for me. I wish her all the best, and I was delighted when she received this honourable invitation”
Although Nour is still very young, she likes to move step by step and set realistic goals:
Nour said: “I know I am not able to shine in London. I want to become Arab champion first in the 100 metres sprint, and after that I aim to win at the Asian and international level.”
Nor does her coach Naima Ben Amara harbour any daydreams about Nour’s prospects in London:
“We have to set a realistic goal. We are still far from the top level. Nour is not dreaming of a medal or anything close to it at this event. We are working to improve her personal performance and to reflect a good image of Qatar to the world.”
As for the Diamond League held in Doha under Samsung’s sponsorship, and the chance to compete against the world’s best runners, Nour says:
“We have covered half the distance towards the domestic circuit, with our preparations including the Samsung Diamond League, but we are mainly focused on the Amir Cup.”
The rise of women’s athletics
Women’s athletics in Qatar is still in its early stages, but Nour, who sees 400 metre gold medallist Femi Ogandi as her role model, as well as world champion Mutaz Barshim, believes that …
“Women’s athletics will certainly grow and flourish further”
Coach Joachim Krug of the Qatar Amateur Athletics Federation also said there are around 70 girls of all categories training in athletics.
Naima, who has coached Qatari women’s athletics since 2008, added that although she gained two years of experience in Oman, she faced some difficulties at first adjusting to Qatar, but …
“Not anymore. The facilities and support provided by the Federation have been wonderful. We have to bear in mind that women in Qatar only recently took up sport. We are not taking giant strides forward, but we are making progress. Nour’s participation in the Olympic Games will motivate young female athletes of her age and level. It will encourage other girls to take up sport seriously.”
Biography
Nour Hussein Al Malki, Qatar (100 metres – 200 metres)
Date of birth: 21 October 1994, Doha
Height: 155 cm
Weight: 44 kg
Coach: Naima Ben Amara
Personal bests
100 metres 12.73 (2011)
200 metres 26.60 (2011)
Career highlights
100 metres
2012 Third, Gulf women’s championships
2012 Second, Al Arabi club championships
2011 Fifth, Arab Games
2011 First, Gulf women’s championships
2011 Second, West Asian Youth Championships
2010 Seventh, qualified for the Youth Olympic Games
200 metres
2012 Third, Gulf women’s championships
2011 Eighth, Arab Games
2011 First, Gulf women’s championships
2011 First, West Asian Youth Championships
4 x 100 metres
2011 Third, Arab Games
2011 Second, Gulf women’s championships
