Khaled expected to bring glory to the UAE athletics

He could be called the 'Father' of athletics in the UAE. He has been a part of the sport for over 43 years now - right from the time he participated as an athlete for the national team over 21 years to holding the post of President of the UAE Athletics Federation (UAEAF) for the third successive term. And, Ahmad Al Kamali has pinned hopes on teenager Khaled Khalil to bring glory to the UAE in 3000m steeplechase event.

"I think if I was not the president of the federation, I would sponsor Khalid (Khalil). Some day if I am out of the federation I will sponsor him. I'm expecting him to be a very big name by 2024. He is the one to watch and is sure to go very far," Al Kamali, who is eyeing the post of vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), told Khaleej Times.

Discussing the UAE roadmap for the forthcoming Asian Games and the 2020 Olympics, he said: "Then there is Zayed Al Shamsi from Al Ain. He runs 13.43seconds in 110m hurdles. He is quite a strong runner.

"I am expecting very fast times from our athletes in the coming three months. Our target is the podium in the next Asian Games which is exactly a year away."

Kamali says it is not his responsibility to make someone a champion. "It's not only my responsibility, it should start from the athlete's home, his parents, the society, the ministry of sports, from the chairman of the Olympic committee.

"If the society doesn't help then at the end of the day I have failed.

"If someone comes forward and says I will sponsor the boy from now to 2020 that's the real support.

"In the 12 years that I have been in charge of the UAEAF I can say that in the last 10 years we have done quite good. You name it, and our athletes have won medals in all events in Asian, Pan Arab and West Asia competitions.

"At international level we qualified for the 2012 London Olympics, Rio Olympics and also two athletes qualified for the World Championships Cross Country.

"Two of our athletes have qualified for the London World Championships. So the federation has done quite well. At the moment we are working with a big number of juniors and we are hoping by 2020 Olympics we will have at least five athletes who will qualify to Tokyo and two or three that will make it to the final and hopefully win a medal. That's our target.

"It's not difficult, we are working very hard towards it. We have high calibre coaches now. Former Olympic gold medallist and world champion Said Aouita, of Morocco, is coaching the boys so we are hoping to get some good results.

"Khaled is promising junior 3000m steeplechase runner. He is only 17 years. He is still at the preparation level so we can't hang the coach and say we want faster times. But in 2018 we will put a gun on the coach's head (saying it with a smirk on his face) to bring a medal in the Asian Games. And in 2020 Olympics we have to go to the final (in 3000m steeplechase), that's our target."

Talking about the roadmap for youngsters, Kamali said: "We have already started an Olympic programme to build future athletes. But we can't compare ourselves to China or India because we are talking of 1.2 to 1.3 billion people so these counties have more options. For instance, when it comes to China if they need 10,000 runners for 800 metres, they get 12,00 runners. But for me if I need three or four athletes for 800 metres, I have just 20 athletes maximum, or even less than that, so my choice becomes limited."

Being an athlete himself, Al Kamali felt athletics is a poor people's event.

"If you don't feel you are hungry you cannot become a champion. If as an athlete I am driving a BMW or a Rolls-Royce I will never become a world champion.

"I came across some Ethiopians who personally asked me to support them with food, and now they are the best athletes in the world," he confided.

DUBAI MARATHON

Dubai Marathon is a long story. We started on November 27, 1998. I have seen the ups and downs of this event. We started with 50 runners and currently we are close to 36,000 runners. From a prize money of Dhs 10,000 to close to $1.2 million now.

With strong support from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and his office, in terms of prize money we are No. 1. Only the world record time is missing from the Dubai Marathon. In the last 5 to 6 years a lot of marathons reduced their prize money so we are still shining," he said with a broad smile.

"But as far as the largest event is concerned it's the London Marathon and we cannot be compared to them because officially they have 53,000 and unofficially 73,000 participants.

However, Dubai is a city where there is a lot of changes. Last year was a difficult year as suddenly the bridge came in the middle. We were planning everything for the world record but the bridge, in my opinion for the timing sake, killed the run. But we still had a time of 2.04 which is very good.

Recently Mo Farah, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medallist in both the 5000 and 10,000 metres, announced that the London World Championships would be his last event and henceforth would only run in marathons. Al Kamali was asked if he was their target for the next Dubai Marathon.

"I have a personal relationship with him. Marathon around the world has become a business, whoever offers top prize money will get top athletes. We had great runners runners like Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele run in Dubai. We hope Farah too will come and run here very soon. We do have him on our agenda. It could be a fight between us and London but we do hope to see him run in Dubai."

Dubai Women's Run

"Our next baby which we are trying to promote, although it is in its eighth year, is the Dubai Women's Run which will be held this coming November. In 2008 when I joined the federation, women's athletics was prohibited. I was the one to introduce women's athletics at that time. We had two women athletes by 2009 that went on to win gold in the Asian Games.

"Last year the Dubai Women's Run was the top three events in the UAE. It was awarded as one of the best and largest one-day event in Dubai. Just imagine we had almost around 70,000 people at the finishing area. The organisers are targeting 10,000 participants this year but I won't be surprised if we cross 12,000. I believe that anything for women in the UAE will be a big success because it gets good support from the government and private sectors.
FOOTBALL GIVEN PREFERENCE

Al Kamali was willing to accept that the focus in more on football rather than other sports.

"We cannot hide it. It is the fact because football is a universal sport and we have accept it. Having said that if you bring me some legend in athletics the whole country will come and support him. If we can have one boy who can go to the podium then people will respect him more that football.

"Khalil has that potential. We need the people in UAE to support athletics. Without support from private sectors we won't be able to produce champions. Let me say it openly, we wasted too much time, but never mind. We still have three years for the Olympics, still we can build a good athlete for it and for 2021 and 2023 World Championship and 2024 Olympics.

"I think we can have an athlete on the podium by this time because now we are in the process of building.
NO FEDERATION FOR GYMNASTICS

UAE's six-year-old Lamia Tariq Al Farsi has been making news in Rhythmic Gymnastics after bagging gold at home and recently in Nice, France. However, her mother Malak, claims that they lack support from authorities as the sport is not recognized.

When Kamali was told of their plight. "Unfortunately we don't have a gymnastics federation in the UAE.

We have about 35 federations and there is no harm in saying that the sports budget is about Dhs 2.30 million. My personal opinion is I need that amount for athletics. So when you have 35 federations and 10,000 kids, imagine if your income is Dhs 5,000 and you have 10 kids at home, how will you manage.

"If Lamia is talented then I will take it up with the sports minister and request him to give me the responsibility to keep the kids and the gymnastics federation under my federation."
SUPPORT FROM PLAN B

Harmeek Singh, founder and chairman of the Plan B Group, is the chief strategist for the UAE Athletics Federation. They are also the federation's official partners.

"What Plan B has done by coming on board as a strategy partner and looking at it as a marketing partner, is that we have the potential to make inroads into the corporate sectors but for that we need athletes like Khalid Khalil. He is a gem and if we can chisel it, it will come out in the open.

"If we are not going to create heroes we are not going to get followers.

We are in a buildup period. We are not expecting miracles. But what has happened in the current time that marketing has come down in different forms. So you have the potential to reach out to a lot of people in a short span of time and that's where strategies work very well.

"My part is to make sure to let people know what we are doing. As a layman I would not know that an athletic event is happening and the UAE has won a silver or a gold medal. I will flip past that page. And that's what is happening. I have to come up with a plan which has not worked before so I have Plan B now.

Source: Khaleej Times