In search of cycling excellence for UAE
MIRZA TRAINS SIGHT ON IMMEDIATE GOAL OF HIS CAREER
“Two roads diverged in a wood, andI– I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost This is what dreams are made of in the life of a sportsman. I have waited a long time for this to happen. Never did I give up on my dream or stop believing that I could make things happen exactly the way I had thought about.” Yousuf Mirza | Ace cyclist
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he UAE’s ace cyclist Yousuf Mirza can very well echo the sentiments of 20th century American poet Robert Frost. The bard could not have said it better, and Mirza could not have proved it all the way had it not been for chasing a childhood dream in the company of his older brothers.
Now, more than two decades later Mirza is living his dream that he had envisaged as an eight-yearold growing up in the narrow lanes of his native Khor Fakkan.
Winning gold
The reigning multiple UAE champion further improved his stock and standing while winning gold at last week’s Asian Cycling Championships that concluded in Myanmar. Now a member of the UAE Team Emirates, Mirza completed the 176km road race with a time of 3 hours, 50.32 minutes to win gold ahead of Japan’s Fumiyuki Beppu and Iran’s Mehdi Sohrabi. This was the second time that Mirza was climbing the podium at the Asian Cycling Championships following a silver medal in 2015 in Thailand after finishing behind Iran’s Hussain Askari.
However, this time there was no denying the 29-year-old UAE cyclist as he took the gold medal. “This is what dreams are made of in the life of a sportsman. I have waited a long time for this to happen.
“Never did I give up on my dream or stop believing that I could make things happen exactly the way I had thought about. This gold medal gives me great joy. It makes me proud that I could win such an important medal for my country,” Mirza told Gulf News after his success in Mandalay, Myanmar last week.
Born on October 8, 1988 Mirza was introduced to the sport by brother Badr while he was only eight years old. The younger Mirza has persisted, while Badr has gone on to empower him and become a coach with the senior national team.
After persistently winning the UAE National Cycling Championships, Yousuf announced his arrival three years back when he took silver at the 2015 Asian Cycling Championships and become the first Emirati cyclist to compete at an Olympic Games.
He continued with the Al Nasr Pro Cycling Team Dubai during 2016 after which he made a switch to the UAE Abu Dhabi while also earning the distinction of becoming the first UAE cyclist to ride for a UCI WorldTeam. Earlier this year, his dream was boosted further when he was signed up by the UAE Team Emirates.
Professional push
Mirza is quick to acknowledge the role played by a professional team like UAE Team Emirates that is headed by its general manager Giuseppe Saronni. And making the difference was his affiliation with a World ProTeam such as the UAE Team Emirates. “I doubt anyone will deny the fact that this team has helped me to a great extent,” Mirza admitted.
“There is nothing left to chance within the squad. Everything is so well-planned and the management is only too keen to ensure the cyclists are under minimum strain as we go on to carry the UAE flag to all corners of the globe,” he added.
Mirza’s triumph bodes well for the future of UAE cycling and the rider is aware of the success will have on the future of the sport in the country. “I was clear what I wanted from joining a professional set-up like UAE Team Emirates. For me, the growth curve has been steady.”