The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar - Leading gymnasts from around the globe will return to Doha, eyeing top honours at the 12th FIG ART Individual Apparatus World Cup, which starts later this week at the Aspire Dome.
The Qatar Gymnastics Federation (QGF), which is holding this event for the 12th consecutive year, has received confirmation from a large number of gymnasts as the event will play crucial in the 2020 Olympic Games qualification.
A total of 128 male and 60 female gymnasts from 57 countries have signed up for the four-day event, which will begin on March 20.
Qatar has become of center of high-profile gymnastics events, with the country reaching the pinnacle of it’s hosting experience by organising the 48th FIG ART World Championships - dubbed as the ‘best-ever’ edition - last October.
“I am confident that we will live up to expectation and host another successful competition,” QGF President Ali Ahmed Al Hitmi told a press conference yesterday.
“The World Championships last year was a huge success and hailed as the best-ever event by top FIG officials. It motivates us to continue hosting events of the same status. Though it is a difficult task to maintain top standards, I am confident that our team is experienced enough and will succeed,” he added.
“We have a star-studded line-up of gymnasts this year also and I am sure fans will enjoy their experience of watching the live action,” said the QGF President.
Apart from targeting the medals, gymnasts will also vie for berths that are on offer for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
According to the Article 18 of Olympic Qualifications, the top-ranked gymnast on each apparatus at the end of the 2018-2019 & 2019-2020 series have the opportunity to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games. This place is nominative.
The Olympic Qualification Ranking list will be established after the last competition of the 2018-2019 & 2019-2020 World Cup Series.
Star-studded line-up confirmed
Meanwhile, prominent names who have confirmed their participation in the Doha event, includes world champions Xiao Ruoteng, Zou Jingyuan of China and Dutchman Epke Zonderland.
Carlos Edriel Yulo of the Philippines, who became his country’s first medal-winner in a World Championships here, will be the cynosure of all eyes. The talented Filipino took the floor honours with a score of 14.566 at the Melbourne edition.
Romania’s 38-year-old Marian Dragulescu will also be back to compete with a younger generation of athletes. Ferhat Arican, who became the first Turkish male gymnast after 108 years to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will also hope to pick up a medal on parallel bar.
World’s oldest Olympian Oksana Chusovitina, 43 of Uzbekistan is also returning Doha in pursuit of here eighth appearance at the Games. Belgium’s reigning world champion Nina Derwael will also be seen in action in the women’s events.
Three gymnasts to represent Qatar
Host Qatar will be represented by three gymnasts - Ahmed Al Dayani, Ahmed Mosa and Raslan Saoud - in the event.
While Al Dayani and Mosa have enjoyed good experience in the past events. Aspire’s Saoud will make his debut in the competition.
“We are hoping for a good performance from our athletes as they have trained well for this important competition,” said Al Hitmi.
“Raslan Saoud is a talented gymnast from Aspire and we are happy to see him featuring in his first senior competition. We are thankful to Aspire, which is making huge contribution in promotion of gymnastics in the country,” said Al Hitmi.