Qatar upbeat about future after best ever show in Rio
Date
8/22/2016 9:06:21 AM
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) File photo: Qatar Olympic Committee President H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani and Secretary-General Dr Thani Abdulrahman Al Kuwari join Barshim and other memebrs of Qatar Team to celebrate the milestone
Rio de Janeiro: As the Rio 2016 Olympic Games come to a close, the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) has reflected on the strongest performance by a Qatari team at an Olympic Games to date.
With more top 10 finishes than ever before, Qatar";s first-ever Olympic silver medal and an incredibly young team, the QOC has much to build on for the future.
Speaking from Rio de Janeiro, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, Dr Thani Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, said: 'We are incredibly proud of our performance at Rio 2016, which shows the progress that Qatar is making on the sporting field on a global level. Team Qatar was the biggest athlete delegation that we have sent to an Olympic Games with more sports represented than ever before and the most number ever of top 10 finishes.
'Simply making it to an Olympic Games is an achievement in itself and each member of Team Qatar has raised the profile of their sport and spread the Olympic spirit to new audiences and new fans watching back at home.
'Most importantly, we have an incredibly young team with many just at the start of their sporting careers. This reflects the potential that Qatar has on the global sporting stage in the future and we look forward to bright and positive years to come.”
Team Qatar consisted of 36 athletes competing across ten sports, with 90% of the team making their Olympic debut.
Fifty percent of the team were aged 25 or under with 16 year old Dalal Al Ajmi and 17 year old Noah Al Khulaifi the youngest members of the team. Qatar had athletes competing in handball, beach volleyball, weightlifting, judo and equestrian for the first time ever, whilst Nasser Al Attiyah competed in his sixth consecutive Olympic Games. Qatar";s top ten finishes came in four different sports. Fares Elbakh came eighth in the Men";s 85kg weightlifting at just 18 years old and Ashraf Elseify came sixth in the hammer throw at just 21 years old.
To put that into perspective the hammer throw was won by a 34 year old and silver was taken by a 40 year old.
Qatar";s handball team made it to the quarter-finals and in the Equestrian, three of the team – Sheikh Ali Al Thani, Bassem Mohammed and Ali Al-Rumaihi - qualified to the final on their Olympic debut.
Sheikh Ali Al Thani made it through to a jump off after clearing two rounds with zero penalties and eventually finished in sixth place.
Team Qatar";s highlight of the Olympics came from Mutaz Barshim (pictured) who claimed Qatar";s best ever Olympic result with silver in the men";s high jump with a clearance of 2.36m. Barshim also becomes Qatar";s most successful ever Olympian with one bronze medal, claimed at London 2012, and one silver medal.
'It was a great competition and having H.E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani in the crowd supporting me every step of the way was extra motivation. Not only that, but the first call I received after the competition was from the Emir himself, H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani,” said Barshim.
The Peninsula