Major General Dahlan Jumaan Al Hamad, president of the Qatari and Asian federations and IAAF vice-president, visited our national youth athletics team’s delegation headquarters, meeting Qatar’s promising champions in what was the first such initiative by a federation president visiting his delegation at the athletes’ accommodation, which houses 12 national teams including those of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Major General Al Hamad congratulated his athletes on winning gold and silver medals, saying what they had achieved was a real accomplishment for a generation that is very young compared with the rest of the teams at the championships, most of whom are of youth age, while Qatar’s champions still have another chance to compete at the 2018 Youth Championships.
In addressing our champions, Major General Al Hamad stressed that they must always work to bring honour to their country and should not be affected by any result, good or bad, because continuous effort and a determination to succeed is the Qatar Athletics Federation’s approach, especially given the great support that athletics enjoys from officials in Qatar. Addressing the athletes and their technical staff, Al Hamad said the goal is always to achieve the best results through hard work and determination, without dwelling on any negative result on the track, and that each athlete must give everything to bring honour to their country, with success then coming from God. He said he was entirely satisfied with what had been achieved and that one must always look to do better.
Major General Al Hamad received a briefing from the coaches on their work, given by Salah Shabouh, who noted that most of the champions are young and being prepared for the future. Al Hamad took commemorative photographs with the champions and urged them to keep working hard for the future so they can carry the banner in defending the ambitions of Qatari athletics.
For their part, coaches Salah Shabouh, Abdi Bile, throws coach Ivica, jumps coach Ivica and his assistant Ali Fadaq expressed their happiness at Major General Al Hamad’s visit, voicing their great gratitude for his efforts to develop athletics on the continent, while the athletes also expressed great happiness at this attention.
