Abderrahman Samba
DOHA: Qatar will bank on athletics, equestrian and shooting to deliver the major share of medals as the 18th Asian Games kick off in Jakarta, Indonesia today.
Qatar will also rely on weightlifting, handball, volleyball, beach volleyball and squash to deliver a rich haul at the Asiad to better the 14-medal mark they achieved in Incheon four years ago.
The Al Annabi had done reasonably well in the quadrennial continental event bagging ten gold at the last Asian Games and will also be banking on team sports like basketball and basketball 3x3 to add to the tally of 10 golds and four bronze they won in South Korea.
Six of Qatar’s gold came in athletics while two came in shooting and one each in equestrian and handball. One shooter got a bronze medal while three athletes got the bronze.
Qatar which is taking part in 31 events out of the 54 will be looking up to London Olympic Games bronze medallist Nasser Al Saleh Al Attiyah, who is taking part in his sixth Asian Games, to clinch his third gold of the Games.
The 47-year old, who has won has two gold medals in the team skeet events at the Asian Games in 2002 and 2010 and a bronze medal in the 2002 Games, is yet to win a individual gold or a silver medal at the Games.
The two-time Dakar Rally winner, who has been taking part in each of the continental games since 1998, heads a strong squad of 20 shooters who will be seen in action in the event which begins today and ends on September 2.
Olympian Rashid Saleh Hamad is also part of the Qatari shooting team.
In athletics, Abderrahman Samba will lead Qatar’s gold quest in track and field in Indonesia.
The 27-year-old has shattered multiple Diamond League meet records during the course of the season and in Paris, clocked the world leading time of 46.98 seconds on June 30.
In the last Diamond League meet in London, Samba shifted his focus to 400 metres dash, which was dominated by compatriot Abdalelah Haroun.
Haroun raced to victory at the London Stadium, setting a new national record and his personal best of 44.07 seconds. This also makes him the fastest 400 metres sprinter in Asia this season.
According to current standings, Samba is the second fastest in Asia in the 400 metres flat event, while another Qatari athlete, Mohamed Nasir Abbas, is ranked third. Abbas clocked his personal best of 45.15 seconds during the World Challenge meet in Madrid, Spain in June.
This means they have a golden opportunity to strike an all-Qatari podium at the Asiad this time. With the three fastest 400 metres sprinters in their possession, Qatar also have the opportunity to win the gold medal in the 4x400 metres relay.
Meanwhile, the 2015 Asian Athletics Championship silver medallist and double World Junior champion hammer thrower Ashraf Elseify will also be aiming for a gold.
Elseify has won two consecutive World Junior Championships titles in 2012 and 2014 and currently holds the Junior World Record with an impressive 85.57m throw.
In the absence of Qatar’s fastest man Femi Ogunode, his brother Tosin Ogunode is expected to fill his void in the 100 metres event. Tosin has not competed in the 100 metres dash this year, but he won the silver medal in 60 metres event during the Asian Indoor Championships held in Tehran, earlier this year.
Asian Championships silver medallist Ahmed Bader will carry Qatar’s hopes in the men’s javelin throw.
Weightlifter Fares Ibrahim will also be looking for a top prize in Jakarta. Ibrahim has been in impressive form winning the silver medal in the 94kg category at the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim in California.
He will be hoping to continue his good show in Indonesia.
Another medal hope for Qatar is Abdullah Al Tamimi in Squash.
Al Tamimi last month beat Hong Kong’s Tsz Fung Yip in five sets to win the $35,000 Malaysian Open title and thus will eager to pick up his first gold medal at the Asian Games, both in the individual and team event.
In bowling, Qatar’s team of young bowlers will be hoping to secure a gold following their impressive run in recent competitions. The Al Annabi bowlers won the Overall Boys title at the 2018 World Bowling Youth Championships in the US last month.
