Abderrahaman Samba
DOHA: Team Qatar will be out in full force at this year’s Doha Diamond League.
2017 World bronze medallist, Abdaleleh Haroun, 2017 Doha Diamond League winner, Abderrahaman Samba and Olympian and World Championship finalist Ahmed Bader Magour, will feature amongst the 14-strong squad challenging athletics’ superstars at Qatar Sports Club on May 4, organisers said yesterday.Tickets are on sale now online at https://bit.ly/2GVnHqN and at Virgin Megastores for the action-packed evening of world-class athletics.
Ferocious young talent, 21-year-old Haroun, got his 2018 season off to an electric start at the Asian Indoor Championships in Tehran in February when he became the first back-to-back winner of an Asian indoor 400m title.
The 2016 Under 20 World Champion and World Indoor silver medallist claimed his first senior outdoor title last year with bronze at the London IAAF World Championships.
Haroun will line up in an incredibly strong field that features last year’s World silver medallist Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas and 2017 Diamond League Champion, Isaac Makwala of Botswana.
Another rising Qatari star, Mohamed Nasir Abbas, will also be looking to get his outdoor season off to a strong start ahead of this year’s Asian Games in Indonesia.
The 2014 U20 Asian Champion claimed bronze behind Haroun at this year’s Asian Indoor Championships with a personal best time.
Speaking ahead of the Doha Diamond League, Haroun, said: “I was so proud to win bronze for Qatar in the London World Championships last year but I want to achieve even more success in the future. I can’t wait to get out on the track at Qatar Sports Club and compete in front of the home crowd in the Diamond League.”
Samba stunned an incredibly strong field of experienced athletes in only his third attempt at the 400m hurdles to storm to victory in last year’s Doha Diamond League.
Samba, 22, will be looking to overcome his disappointment and use the experience from last year’s World Championships when he entered the final hurdle in a medal position but stumbled to finish in seventh place. Aspire Academy graduate, Bader will line up in what promises to be a thrilling javelin final, featuring reigning Olympic Champion, Thomas Röhler of Germany, reigning World Champion Johannes Vetter, also of Germany, reigning World silver medallist and 2018 Diamond League Champion, Yakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, and reigning Olympic silver medallist, Julian Yego of Kenya.
Two Team Qatar athletes, Jamal Hairane and Abubaker Haydar Abdalla, will feature in an exciting Men’s 800m, which includes 2017 World silver and bronze medallists Adam Kszczot of Poland and Kipyegon Bett of Kenya respectively.
Team Qatar athletes competing on May 4 will also include 2010 Youth Olympic Games silver medallist and 2012 World Under 20 Champion, Hamza Drioch, who will join Asian Under 20 5000m and 3000m steeplechase champion Adam Ali Mousab and Said Aden in the Men’s 1500m, 2018 Asian Indoor silver medallist in both the 1500m and 3000m, Yaser Salem Bagharab and 2012 Under 20 3000m steeplechase champion, Hashim Mohamed Salah and 2010 Asian Games bronze medallist Rashid Ahmed Al Mannai (triple jump).
