Our national athletics team champions are preparing today to take on the challenge of the 2014 World Indoor Championships, whose competitions are being hosted by the city of Sopot in Poland from 7-9 March, with the participation of 587 athletes representing 141 national teams competing fiercely to prove their worth and honour their countries in the world event, amid exceptional and unprecedented preparations in the Polish city of Sopot, which has dressed in its finest attire to host the stars of the mother of sports at the ” Ergo Arena ” hall in the heart of the beautiful city. Qatar’s team is taking part with four champions: world star Mutaz Barshim in the high jump, sprinter Samuel Francis in the 60m, sprinter Femi Ogunode in the 60m, and runner Musaab Abdulrahman in the 800m, while the delegation is headed by Captain Khalifa Abdulmalik, the federation’s executive director, with Captain Yaqoub Abdullah as team manager and Captain Yasser Al Sayyadi as administrator, while the technical staff comprises Polish coach Stanislaw Stanislaw, coach Jama Aden and American coach Bradley
Meanwhile, the World Indoor Championships officially open today in the Polish city of Sopot, attended by senior Polish political and sporting leaders, alongside Lamine Diack, president of the IAAF, and his top aides from the IAAF’s leadership. Sopot’s leaders promised to organise an exceptional and unprecedented sporting event, having mobilised their best staff, energies, and financial and human resources to make the challenge of the mother of sports a success, and tonight’s opening ceremony will serve as the starting shot and a testament to the excellence and organisational quality of the Poles
First day competitions .. one medal to be awarded
The first day of the indoor world championship will see 26 track and field races and events for men and women held over two sessions, morning and evening: first, the women, heats in the high jump, 400m, triple jump, 3000m, 60m, 800m, shot put, long jump, 60m, and 60m hurdles; second, the men, heats in the shot put, 400m, 60m, 1500m, long jump, 800m, the shot put final, and 3000m semi-finals, with a single medal to be awarded today, in the men’s shot put, during the evening session
Qatar’s champions ready .. enthusiastic training
God willing, our trio of runners Samuel Francis in the 60m, Femi Ogunode in the 60m and Musaab Abdulrahman in the 800m enter the arena of serious competition today armed with will, determination and resolve to give their utmost against the best sprinters and middle-distance runners, after the trio completed their preparations yesterday at the Ergo Arena hall along with the rest of the champions
World star Barshim goes into heats tomorrow
World star Mutaz Essa Barshim begins the high jump heats of the indoor world championship in the city of Sopot tomorrow, with the elite of jumpers taking part. For his part, the talented Barshim is entering in the best physical, moral and mental readiness to take part in the indoor world championship after his training camp in Poland and Sweden, having won Asian indoor gold last month with 2.36m, affirming his readiness to compete, and said: Thank God I am in the best form and I am very optimistic, and I hope to achieve what is required and honour my country at the world indoor event
A calm technical meeting
The Novotel hotel hosted the championship’s technical meeting, attended by the Qatari administrative delegation represented by team manager Khalifa Abdulmalik and coach Jama Aden, alongside the championship’s technical and organising committees and the participating teams’ managers, where all technical and organisational matters were discussed and the players’ participation and the final competition schedule were approved, in addition to hearing the comments and inquiries of the participating teams’ representatives, where applicable. The atmosphere of the meeting was marked by positivity and great engagement from the teams’ delegates, who listened to a detailed briefing on the championship and its arrangements, and instructions from the local high organising committee and the IAAF family, along with a special statement from the doping control team
