Mohamed Al-Mannai
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ASIAN GAMES | Page 3 FORMULA 1 | Page 6 Bopanna and Raikkonen Sharan, rowers keeps Ferrari add gold to on top in Indian tally Spa practice Saturday, August 25, 2018 TENNIS Dhul-Hijja 14, 1439 AH Federer, Djokovic GULF TIMES could meet in US Open quarters SPORT Page 5 PREVIEW Samba, Haroun lead Qatar’s gold hopes in athletics ‘Immediate focus is the Asian Games. This is his (Samba) first Asian Games and he’s completely focused on the job’ By Anil John Jakarta f Qatar’s stated ambition is to surpass their best-ever gold medal tally at the Asian Games, the process has to Istart in right earnest at the Gelo- ra Bung Karno Stadium today where the extensive track and fi eld programme gets underway with the men’s marathon early in the morning. Six of the 10 gold medals won by Qatar four years ago in Incheon came from athletics, but three of their stars, who ac- counted for fi ve of them, are con- spicuous by their absence in the Indonesian capital. Qatar’s Abdallelah Haroun ran a personal best of 44.07 seconds in 400m at the London Diamond League meeting last month. with the 400m and 100m fi nals scheduled for tomorrow. Medals tally (top 10) Haroun, who fi nished third at the 2017 IAAF World Champion- G S B T ships in London in the 400m be- hind winner Wayde van Niekerk 1. China 66 46 27 139 of South Africa and silver med- 2. Japan 29 31 43 103 allist Steven Gardiner of the Ba- 3. South Korea 23 26 29 78 hamas, has a personal best of 44.07 seconds set during a stun- 4. Iran 12 11 8 31 ning winning performance at the 5. Indonesia 9 9 14 32 London Diamond League meet- 6. North Korea 8 5 6 19 ing last month. Fellow Qatari Mohamed Nasir 7. Chinese Taipei 6 7 12 25 Sprinter Femi Ogunode, mid- Abbas, who clocked a personal 8. India 6 5 14 25 dle-distance runner Mohamed best of 45.15 seconds during the al-Garni and high jump world World Challenge in Madrid in 9. Thailand 6 4 20 30 champion Mutaz Essa Barshim Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba (right), who is only the second man to go under 47 seconds in 400m hurdles, has repeatedly beat world champion June, is also in contention for a 10. Uzbekistan 4 10 7 21 are missing the Games because medal in the 400m. Karsten Warholm (left) of Norway at this year’s Diamond League meetings. 28. Qatar 0 0 1 1 of injuries, leaving the athletics The Asian record over the dis- squad short on heft and experi- Cuban Javier Sotomayor’s long- against the might of the China, onships”. His coach Hennie Kotze the prospect of showcasing his tance belongs to Yousef Ahmed ence. standing world record of 2.45m Japan and South Korea. is busy plotting a plan of action talents at the Games, the fi rst Masrahi of Saudi Arabia who nearly a year now because of Ogunode had repeated his at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial in Samba, who recently became with the aim of making him the multi-sport event he is taking clocked 43.93 seconds during injury problems. On top of it sprint double in Incheon, having Szekesfehervar, Hungary, in early only the second man in history world champion next year, with a part in. the heats at the 2015 IAAF World several runners in Asia, among fi rst won the 100 and 200m four July. after Barcelona Olympics cham- gold medal in Jakarta as the start- “I am really excited to be in Championships in Beijing. He them China’s Su Bingtian, have years earlier in Guangzhou, while He underwent surgery and is pion Kevin Young to go under 47 ing point. Indonesia to participate in the had improved his own record by gone under 10 seconds in recent al-Garni had stunned some of ruled out for the rest of the sea- seconds, is a sure shot gold pros- “The world title and a possible Asian Games. Staying with the about half a second then, but he events, something which Tosin the favourites in the 1500m and son, with reports indicating he pect, going by his recent form in world record are all part of our other athletes at the Athletes Vil- is not listed in the Saudi squad at has never done. 5000m to cause a sensation in will be only back in action during the Diamond League where he plan but the immediate focus is lage has been a new experience the Asian Games this time. “My brother told me to just go 2014. the IAAF World Championships repeatedly got the better of world the Asian Games. This is his fi rst for me and I am relishing every The 100m fi nal is also sched- there and do your best. That’s Barshim, who was looking in Doha next year. champion Karsten Warholm of Asian Games and he is complete- moment of it,” he said. uled for tomorrow with Femi what I’ll try to do,” he said. forward to a hat-trick of Asian That puts the onus on 400m Norway. ly focused on the job at hand. He Qualifi cation for the 400m Ogunode’s brother, Tosin, at- Hammer thrower Ashraf Elsei- Games gold medals – he was the hurdler Abderrahman Samba Ever since arriving in Jakarta, is a great athlete to coach as he is hurdles will begin tomorrow tempting to make a mark. fy, the winner of the junior world champion in Guangzhou and and 400m fl at specialist Abdale- Samba has been totally focused very receptive to my methods,” with the fi nal on Monday, but if That is, however, easier said title in 2012 and 2014, and javelin Incheon – suff ered a ligament lah Haroun to inspire the oth- for the “most important event of Kotze told the Gulf Times. all goes well Qatar could already than done as Tosin hardly has thrower Ahmed Bader are also in injury while attempting to break ers in the squad which will be up my life after the World Champi- Samba himself is cherishing have a couple of medals by then, any competitive experience for medal contention. SPOTLIGHT Fresh start for decathlete al-Mannai in Jakarta By Anil John the Indonesian capital today. European Championships earlier in Doha next year. Jakarta “He is one of the most talented this month at the age of 32. “We are going event by event. athletes I have ever worked with. “Becoming a top decathlete is a Consistent training over the last He has been unlucky with inju- long process but I am very positive, few months has given him the ohamed al-Mannai ries and had been out of action so is Mohamed. He likes to work confi dence that he can go far. may not be a name for several years,” van Vuuren hard and he is in tune with my vi- “As of now we are focused on to reckon with yet told Gulf Times yesterday. sion for him,” van Vuuren added. the Asian Games but I hope by the on the international “But now he is much more According to van Vuuren, al- time we near the World Champi- Mstage but the Qatari decathlete is focused and mature, his body is Mannai’s fi rst coaches at Aspire onships he would be in a position shaping up well as an athlete of also maturing and if he manages Academy gave him a set of basic to challenge the top guys.” immense potential, according to to steer clear of injuries he can skills that have stood him in good In Jakarta, al-Mannai will be up his coach Jaco van Vuuren. reach the moon,” the South Afri- stead. against defending champion Kei- The only decathlete in the Qa- can coach added. “What he has learned at Aspire suke Ushiro of Japan and his com- tari squad for the Asian Games, Al-Mannai is already 26 but has helped me in my job. It makes patriot Akihiko Nakamura who al-Mannai had been slogging van Vuuren says history shows my job easier as I have to build on had won the bronze in Incheon. it out in Jakarta in the hope of decathletes reach their pinnacle it.” “In a way I am starting afresh upstaging some better-known in their thirties. Van Vuuren said he is not as I have had too many injuries in names in the gruelling 10-disci- He cited the example of thinking about medals at the the past,” al-Mannai said. “A good pline event which begins at the Germany’s Arthur Abele who Asian Games but building up to performance here will surely be a Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in clinched the decathlon title at the the IAAF World Championships good thing for my confi dence.” Gulf Times 2 Saturday, August 25, 2018 ASIAN GAMES FOCUS SPOTLIGHT Qatar has good Al-Tamimi’s exit chances to win medals: al-Kuwari QNA good chances to win more med- Jakarta als in various disciplines such as athletics. He added that Qatar causes heartbreak will participate in the 4x400m atar Olympic Com- race for the fi rst time in such mittee’s (QOC) sec- competitions. Qatar stay on ond vice-president Dr Regarding the absence of Thani al-Kuwari ex- world champion Mutaz Barshim, course in beach Qpressed happiness with Qatar’s al-Kuwari said athletes are al- fi rst medal won by shooter Ha- ways exposed to injuries, and volleyball, handball, mad al-Marri, who won bronze that Qatar has other champions in Qatar camp in the Double Trap fi nal at the in various athletics competi- 3x3 basketball 2018 Asian Games.