10 Weightlifters in the National Team’s List for the “Doha Arab Championship”
The national weightlifting team has departed to participate in the Arab Championship and the Qatar Cup in Doha, scheduled from December 26 to 31. The delegation, led by Mohamed Khamees Al Naqbi, the Secretary-General of the Weightlifting Federation, includes Khalifa Rashid Al Zaabi, the Director of Support Services at the Abu Dhabi Club, Abdelrahman Mohamed Abdelrahman, the national team coach, Maher Al Qorbi, the club’s coach, and his assistant Mohamed Fathi. The team also comprises 10 athletes, including 8 from the Abu Dhabi Weightlifting Club. Leading the team are Moayed Al Najjar (over 109 kg) and Ezzedine Al Ghafer (109 kg), who will participate in both men’s team events. Also competing in the women’s events are Zahra Al Hashemi (49 kg), Bashayer Al Ahbabi (59 kg), and Mai Al Madani (64 kg).
In addition, five athletes will participate only in the Arab Championship in the youth and junior categories: Zayed Al Nuaimi (55 kg), Thaniyan Omar Al Hammoudi (49 kg), Zayed Al Amiri (55 kg), Saeed Qassab (81 kg), and Ali Nasser Al Hamiri (96 kg).
Mohamed Khamees Al Naqbi, head of the delegation, stated that the participation represents a great opportunity for competition in the men’s and women’s teams, as well as for gaining experience in such tournaments for the youth and junior athletes who are representing the foundation of the sport. This will be their first time participating in a competitive event, marking a significant step in the development plan of the Abu Dhabi Weightlifting Club in collaboration with the Federation.
He added: “We hope the participation will be exceptional, especially since the last edition of the Arab Championship saw the team win 6 gold medals in the men’s category for the first time in the history of the sport. We hope that Al Najjar and Al Ghafer can repeat this success and return with gold medals in the heavy weights. We also wish success to the women’s, youth, and junior teams in achieving good results.”
Maher Al Qorbi, coach of the Abu Dhabi Club, said: “Preparations are complete for strong competition at all levels. All athletes are in good physical, technical, and mental condition and are motivated to deliver performances that lead them to the podium. We are certainly counting on the experienced athletes to achieve the results, and we are confident that the younger players can shine, especially since their training and preparation have lasted for many months. In any case, the event is a good opportunity not only to win but also to gain experiences that will help in future development.”