The third day of competition in the mother of sports events at the Asian Games in Korea sees the participation of an elite group of the finest champions of the Asian continent from both sexes, competing hard to win 47 gold and other coloured medals across both categories, with a group of our 28 champions representing us in the continental challenge, having pledged to do their country and Qatar’s maroon mother of sports credit at the Asian sporting gathering and to affirm its continental leadership. Today’s events include six finals, three for the men and three for the women, as follows: the men’s high jump final, the men’s 1500m final, the men’s 3000m final, the women’s long jump final, the women’s discus final and the women’s 1500m final
With high spirits, enthusiasm and perseverance, the champions and women champions of our national team competing today completed their serious preparations to enter the fray of the continental challenge, all determination and resolve to continue Qatar’s golden harvest and confirm its sporting excellence at the biggest sporting event after the Olympics. Major General Al Hamad, President of the Qatar and Asian athletics federations and Vice-President of the IAAF, was keen yesterday to meet the maroon team and its technical and administrative staff at their residence in the athletes’ Olympic village in Incheon, urging them to give their utmost in the competitions to raise their country’s flag high in the continental challenge, and stressing that they must show their country’s bright face and what it has achieved in various fields, expressing his confidence and optimism in their abilities and qualifications to reap glories and affirm Qatar’s worth at the continental gathering, and wishing them success in the Asian competition journey.
Barshim in the high jump challenge
Our Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim and his younger brother Moammar Barshim will contest today’s high jump final at the Asian Games – Incheon 2014, with gold medallist Barshim at peak readiness and focus for tonight’s contest for the gold medal and to retain the Asian throne as the continent’s best jumper. For his part, young Barshim seeks to confirm his technical and skill progress and his ability to take on Asia’s best, especially after his European training camp, where he achieved a jump of 2.25m, aiming to retain his Asian title and produce a performance and level that reflect his technical development and confirm his worthiness to remain on the Asian high jump throne.
Al Garni and Hamza in the 1500m final
Brilliant runner Mohammed Al Garni, winner of the 5000m gold, and his colleague Hamza Driouch will contest today’s 1500m final, while runner Abubaker Ali Kamal contests the 3000m steeplechase final and runner Abdulnasser Abbas the 400m heats
Our maroon relay team takes part today in the 4x400m heats, represented by runners Femi Ogunode, Jamal Abdulnasser, Hassan Aman, Mohammed Nasser Abbas, Musaab Abdulrahman and Jamal Hairan, while our 4x100m quartet contests the heats represented by runners Samuel Francis, Femi Ogunode and Saif Sabah Khairallah.
Discus final
The technical committee of the mother of Asian sports made a technical change, moving the discus final to tomorrow, Tuesday; meanwhile Qatar’s discus giants, the pair Rashid Al Shafi and Mohammed Deeb, continued their normal training in preparation for tomorrow’s contest against the continent’s champions.
