File photo of Abderrahman Samba.
Doha: Abderrahman Samba will lead Qatar’s gold quest in track and field events of the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia which begins today.
The athletics competition at the Games will take place without one of its leading lights with world and double Asiad high jump champion Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim missing out due to an ankle injury.
In the absence of Barshim, Samba, currently the fastest 400 metres hurdler in the world will be the one to watch when the athletics events begin on August 25. Samba’s event is slated for tomorrow.
Up for grabs at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium will be 48 gold medals - second only to swimming - with the men’s marathon kicking off the competition today.
The sprinters will compete tomorrow.
China’s Asian Games domination is set to extend to track and field this week with an in-form Su Bingtian expected to provide the gloss with his blistering pace in the blue riband 100 metres race.
Su became the first Asian-born sprinter in June to run the distance under 10 seconds when twice in the space of eight days he recorded times of 9.91 to match the Asian record held by Qatar’s Femi Ogunode.
China and Japan have played out a fierce rivalry in the pool in the Indonesian capital but the former’s track and field hopes have suffered a jolt in the absence of in-form sprinter Xie Zhenye, who recently pulled out with an ankle injury.
Su and Xie, also a member of the relay team, were pushing each other to new heights with the latter having also run under 10 seconds this season.
For Qatar, their fastest man Femi Ogunode is not taking part but 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.
In the 400 metres Abdalelah Haroun is expected to lead the Qatari charge along with , Mohamed Nasir Abbas.
Haroun raced to victory at the London Stadium at the World Championships, 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, Abbas is ranked third having 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 two podium finishes at the 400m in the Asian Games.
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 Decathlon, Qatar chalelnge will be led by Mohd Al Mannai today.
High Jumper Mahamat Hamdi will be the one Qatari fans will be looking forward to get them the medal in the absanse of Barshim, while another Qatari athlete Rania Alnaji will vie for honours in the Women’s Hammer Throw.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s London Olympic Games bronze medallist Nasser Al Saleh Al Attiyah will be seen in the men’s Trap event in the shooting competition qualifying rounds today.
Qatar has high hopes on their shooting contingent which includes 20 athletes.
Two two-time Dakar Rally champion Al Attiyah who is competing in his sixth Asian Games is one of them.
The 47-year old, who has won two gold medals in the team skeet events at the 2002 and 2010 Games and an individual bronze medal in the 2002 Asiad, will be eying his maiden individual gold in Palembang.
