Friday 26 / April / 2024
Muscat: With Barakat Al Harthi giving another international meet a miss, fellow sprinter Mohammed Obaid Al Saadi will be the lone Omani representative at the forthcoming World Athletics Championships in London.
Oman Athletic Association (OAA) General Secretary Jihad Al Sheikh, confirmed that Mohammed Al Saadi will be travelling to London while star sprinter Barakat Al Harthi will continue to prepare for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
Speaking to Times Sport, before leaving for London along with OAA chief Younis bin Yaqoub Al Siyabi, Jihad Al Sheikh said: “We are sending only one athlete to London World Championships and he is Mohammed Al Saadi.”
He also informed that Mohammed Al Saadi is the only Omani to receive the wild card for the world event.
“Mohammed will be taking part in the 200m event in London. Mohammed’s participation will do a world of good for his confidence as he will be competing against the best athletes from across the world,” he said.
The World Athletics Championships take place at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from August 4 to 13.
While Mohammed Al Saadi is scheduled to leave for London on August 1, OAA chief Younis Al Siyabi and general secretary Jihad Al Sheikh departed on Friday to attend the IAAF Congress.
The 51st session of IAAF Congress, which runs from August 1 to 3, includes what the world athletics body described as an ‘innovative one-day convention called IAAF Athletics Connect on August 2, designed to bring together and inspire the global athletics community’.
Bronze medallist
Mohammed Al Saadi is a 200m bronze medallist in the recent Arab Athletics Championships organised in Tunisia, where Oman managed to win a total of six medals including two silver and three bronze.
Mohammed Al Saadi also represented Oman in the Asian Athletics Championships organised in India from July 6 to 9.
The OAA had send ten athletes for the Asian championships but the Omani contingent returned home with just one medal -- a bronze won by Ahmed Mubarak in the 400m.
Barakat’s absence
Asked about the absence of Barakat Al Harthi, who also missed the recent international events including Asian and Arab championships, Jihad Al Sheikh said: “There is a good chance of Barakat winning a medal in the Asian Indoor (and Martial Arts Games) championships. He is focussed on that and is preparing well for championships.”
The 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, which also includes indoor athletic competitions, will be organised in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan from September 17 to 27.
