The UAE is getting ready to celebrate some of its best athletes at the Paris Olympics 2024.
Set to begin on July 26, the City of Light is busy preparing to host, while athletes from around the world pull their socks up and get ready to represent their countries. Among these are these are 14 athletes representing the United Arab Emirates, which includes eleven male sportsmen competing in equestrianism, judo, swimming, cycling, and athletics.
Omar Al Marzouqi, the equestrian who won a silver medal in the Youth Olympics in 2018, will have the honour of carrying the UAE flag at the opening ceremony on July 26, held outside a stadium on the river Seine. The equestrian started his journey at just three years old under the guidance of his father. At just 21 years old, Omar Al Marzouqi is ready to make his country and people proud at the Olympic Games.
The second equestrian representing the UAE is Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, another inspiring athlete who has continuously strived for success. He has competed in several competitions at different levels as an individual athlete and also as a representative of his country. Trained in Germany, Al Muhairi has exceptional talents and qualities that will surely exude in his performance at the Olympics this summer.
The equestrian team will also include showjumpers Abdullah Al Marri, Salem Al Suwaidi and Ali Al Karbi, all of whom are reputable sportsmen. Abdullah Al Marri has been trained for more than two decades and will compete in both individual and team events. All these talents are preparing to compete for a spot on the team, and four among five will be selected for the final squad and announced later.
The six-member judo team consists of five males, Omar Marouf, Dhafer Aram, Aram Gregorian, Talal Shvili, and Narmand Bayan, are all set to compete in the male category at the Olympics. Four out of these five judoists are among the top 18 in the world ranking of Judo athletes. “We always aim high every time we participate in the Olympic Games, and that’s our target and vision. Our situation in the last Olympics in Tokyo was a little bit different as we had injury issues. This time the numbers we wanted at Paris have gone exactly as we planned,” Federation General Secretary Nasser Al Tamimi expressed.
Lastly, Yousef Rashid Al Matroushi will compete in the 100-metre freestyle for swimming. The young 21-year-old swimmer is ready to take on the waters of Paris and make the country proud for his excellent skills and sportsmanship.
This summer, the highly anticipated Olympics, hosted in Paris, will be a patron of many firsts. It will be a first for the UAE to enter fourteen different athletes as representatives. As the games begin, many are looking forward to cheering on these athletes and hope to see some winners back home.
