Alkass Digital
After the athletics contingent, two more Qatari athletes – Mohamed al-Rumaihi and Tala Abu Jbara – touched down in Tokyo on Saturday, to take part in the Olympics, which will begin from July 23.
Trap shooter al-Rumaihi’s event is on July 28 and 29, while Tala will make history in Tokyo by becoming the first Qatari female to participate in a rowing singles sculls event event at the Games. Qatar’s beach volleyball duo of Ahmed Tijan and Cherif Younousse will arrive in Tokyo today ahead of their participation in the Games. A total of 15 athletes will represent Qatar in seven sports at Tokyo 2020 Olympics as Qatar will compete in seven sports and 6 track and field disciplines.
Team Qatar’s Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020 Olympics Mohamed Saeed al-Misnad thanked the organising committee of games for their co-operation with all the participating delegations and wished all success for Team Qatar athletes.
“We are keen to provide our athletes with all possible means of support during their participation in the games. The pre-co-ordination between Qatar’s administrative delegation and the organising committee of Tokyo 2020 Olympics began a long time ago to ensure the safety of participating athletes, especially in light of the current circumstances as a result of Covid-19 pandemic” said al-Misnad.
Meanwhile, trap shooter al-Rumaihi, who was accompanied by coach Robert Mlodzianoski, said he was ready to give his best. “My training for Olympics has been very good. The training camp in Italy which lasted for more than a month was very useful as I competed in different events there,” al-Rumaihi said.
“After qualifying for Olympics two years ago following the Asian Championship in Doha, I underwent extensive preparations and I am ready to give my best. I always wanted to be among the elite athletes and I am very happy to compete in Olympics where I will give my best to honour Qatar sports. I want to thank the Qatar Shooting & Archery Association for their help and guidance,” he added.
Saeed al-Mannai, Chairman of the National Teams Committee of the Qatar Shooting & Archery Association (QSAA), hoped al-Rumaihi will excel at Olympics. “Al-Rumaihi has done a lot of hard work after qualifying for Olympics. I am hopeful he will give a strong performance,” said al-Mannai.
“We started the journey since the qualification in 2019 and we developed a programme that aims to make Qatari shooting at the forefront of the teams seeking to win a medal in the Olympics. Our presence in Tokyo will be a turning point in the shooting world and we expect to achieve an honourable result,” he added.
Majid Ahmed al-Nuaimi, QSAA Secretary-General said al-Rumaihi has a strong chance of achieving good results in Olympics. “Al-Rumaihi has shown a lot of commitment in the last two years. From attending training camps to participation in the events, he has left no stone unturned in his preparations. He is now ready to compete in Olympics and I feel our chances in the Olympics are great,” said al-Nuaimi.
Meanwhile, Tala was accompanied by coach Malcolm Gillock as the two Qatari stars checked in at Olympic Village on Saturday along with other officials.