UAE stars brace up for challenge as Games get under way in Tokyo
The UAE will participate for the tenth time in the Olympics. Its first participation was in the Los Angeles Games. The country’s delegation comprises five athletes competing in four sports, which are shooting, swimming, athletics and judo
The 32nd Summer Olympics Games in Tokyo will be officially inaugurated on Friday and conclude on Aug.8, with the participation of over 11,000 athletes competing in 33 sports, with 339 competitions being held in 48 sporting facilities.
The launch will take place on Friday at 19:00 Japan time (14:00 UAE time) in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, where the 1964 Olympics was also held.
The event will be atended by Shehab Ahmed Al Faheem, UAE Ambassador to Japan, and Azza Bint Suleiman, Assistant Secretary-general of the National Olympic Commitee for Administrative and Financial Affairs.
The UAE will participate for the tenth time in the Olympics. Its first participation was in the Los Angeles Games.
The country’s delegation comprises five athletes competing in four sports, which are shooting, swimming, athletics and judo.
Saif Bin Futais, the shooter of UAE National Team will compete in the Skeet Shooting on July 25 and 26 while Victor Skertove will compete in under 73-kilogramme judo competition on July 26. Swimmer Youssef Al Matrooshi will compete in the 100-metre freestyle competition the following day while Ivan Romanko will participate in the over 100-kilogramme judo competition on July 30, before runner Mohamed Hassan El Noubi competes in the 100-metre race on July 31.
UAE’S national team swimmer Matrooshi is brimming with confidence to make his Olympic debut, will participate in the 100-metre freestyle event.
The Emirati delegation in Tokyo visited several clinics in the Olympic Village, including a physiotherapy room, and explored its medical equipment and the village’s various preparations and first aid services. They also visited the village’s training halls and shooting range.
Games Organising Commitee said the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be unlike any other because they will take place in the face of the coronavirus pandemic - an obstacle far beyond anything we have ever faced. Concept of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony is ‘United by Emotion’.
‘’In the Opening Ceremony, we will aspire to reaffirm the role of sport and the value of the Olympic Games, to express our gratitude and admiration for the efforts we all made together over the past year, and also to bring a sense of hope for the future. We hope it will be an experience that conveys how we all have the ability to celebrate differences, to empathise, and to live side by side with compassion for one another.’’
The top three medal hopes include shooter Futais and two Scvortov and Remarenco.
Gearing up to bring medals for the country, Futais began practice at a shooting range situated in Tokyo just ater reaching Japan along with Scvortov and Remarenco, who also hit the mat at a training facility based in Tokyo.
The objective of the training sessions were focused on raising the physical and mental fitness, and acclimatising to the conditions.
Earlier, Dr Abdullah Al Rahoumi, Vice President of the Sports Medicine Commitee of the UAE National Olympic Commitee, confirmed that the safety and health of all the athletes is our top priority. Moreover, he added that the delegation has shown great cooperation to achieve the targeted objectives of the health care, before and during the period.
“We are making all arrangements to make sure the full compliance of the COVID-19 protocols laid down by the organising commitee at the Tokyo Olympics.”
Dr Rohoumi indicated that his mission with the athlete’s delegation in Tokyo is focused on two major tasks. “The first one is to follow the health status of the athletes, as well as all the delegation members and to be ready for any developments that might happen to the participating team.
Secondly, coordinating with the organising commitee as regards any precautions and safety measures. Furthermore, arranging collection of the COVID-19 test samples to be handed over to the concerned departments.
“The periodical updating of the reports shall be issued on the UAE delegation fully covering all the participating members, on the sports, administrative staff and the media team accompanying the delegation.
“These reports shall update the status of all the members and disclose any of the infected cases or contaminated ones in order to follow in case of any positive indication.”
The delegation showed great interest in bearing the responsibility to represent the UAE as usual in all the international forums and events.
Following a one-year delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Tokyo Games will finally get under way on July 23.