Team Qatar continued their winning streak on the second day of competition in the GCC Para-Athletics Championships with two gold medals, four silver medals and two bronze medals as they competed against the region’s top para-athletes. The second day of the GCC Para-Athletics Championships saw fierce competition between the athletes as they prepare for the Doha 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in October.
The GCC Para-Athletics Championships began on the 12th September and will continue until 15th September, with over 200 of the GCC’s best athletes taking part in 27 events over four days of exhilarating competition. Athletes from the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia as well as hosts Qatar are taking part in the Championships with multiple Paralympic and World Champions among the competitors.
Qatar’s Mohamed al-Khubaisi took home another medal today during the 400m T34 event coming in second place behind the UAE’s Paralympic medalist Mohammed al-Hammadi. Speaking after his silver medal performance, al-Khubaisi said:
“I hope my performance in the GCC Para-Athletics Championships prepares me well for the upcoming Doha 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships. I am optimistic that my performance will continue improving in future events, especially during the World Championships in Doha from 21st to 31st October.”
Meanwhile Qatar’s Shareefa al-Haddad won another gold medal in the 400m event after another stellar performance. Commenting on her repeat victory she said:
“I would not have been able to achieve anything if it wasn’t for the constant support of my family and my coach. Running takes a lot of dedication and hard work and I am very pleased to see that my efforts are bearing fruit. I hope to emulate this success in the Doha 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in October and make my family and country proud.”
The second Qatari athlete to bring home the gold medal was Mohamed el-Abed who out-performed the competition in the men’s shot put F12 event with a fantastic distance of 10.84 meters.
World-record breaker Abdelrahman Abdelqader excelled in the discus F34 event and won a silver medal for Team Qatar. Speaking after the event he said:
“I am very happy with my performance today. I was up against extremely tough competitors, including world-record holder Hani al-Nahkli so coming in second was no easy feat. I have gained valuable experience during these championships and I hope to use it to perform even better during the World Championships in October.”
The UAE’s Paralympic medalist Mohammed al-Hammadi displayed his sheer power and experience over his competitors by claiming the gold medal in the 400m T34 event, after which he said:
“I won the gold medal today thanks to the support of my coaches and my country, as well as my own consistent efforts. The competition today was just incredible and I was up against truly difficult opponents. I love competing in Doha and I look forward to continuing my winning streak in the Doha 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships.”
For the women’s discus event, the UAE’s Aishah al-Khaldi took home the gold medal ahead of Qatar’s rising star Sara Masoud who took the bronze medal and Emirati Zenab al-Breiki who took the silver medal. Speaking after her competition al-Khaldi said:
“The GCC Para-Athletics Championships offered us an invaluable opportunity to take part in a high-level competition ahead of the Doha 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in October. This will be the first edition of the World Championships that will be held in the Middle East and it will be an incredible experience to compete in Doha.”
Meanwhile Team Qatar claimed two silver medals thanks to Abdulla Abdelrahim and Haya al-Kuwairi who took second place in the long jump and the 400m respectively.
Qatar’s Abdullah Isaac took the bronze medal in the men’s javelin event bringing today’s medal tally to an impressive eight medals for hosts Qatar.
The GCC Para-Athletics Championships are also serving as a test event for the upcoming IPC Athletics World Championships, which are also taking place at Qatar Sports Club from 21-31 October 2015. The test event will enable the Organising Committee to test operational functions and procedures across all areas to ensure that October's World Championships will be organised to the highest possible levels.
Tickets for the Doha 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships are on sale now at https://doha2015.q-tickets.com for the ten-day competition, which will be held from 21st-31st October at Qatar Sports Club. All proceeds of ticket sales will be donated to charity.
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