DUBAI, 25th March 2017: Aysha Salem Bani Khaled provided the silver lining for UAE on the final day of the 9th Fazza World Para Athletics Championship – Dubai 2017 on Thursday 23rd March as Algeria topped the medals tally and a total of 29 records set in the new Dubai Club for the Disabled stadium.
The host nation increased their total medals haul to 21 bagging a silver and bronze, on another record-breaking day which saw two world records, two African and three Asian records being set on the fourth day of the competition.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the season-opening World Para Athletics Dubai Grand Prix which has attracted 386 athletes from 41 countries, is being organized and supervised by the Dubai Club for the Disabled with the support of their strategic partners Dubai Sports Council, World Para Athletics Sports Technical Committee of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare (GAYSW), and the UAE Paralympic Committee.
Hosts UAE entered the largest number of 48 athletes from among the 41 countries namely Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Bahrain, Czech Republic, Egypt, Fiji, Zambia, Britain, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Latvia, Libya, Moldova, Macedonia, Namibia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Samoa, Singapore, Switzerland, Slovakia, Sweden, Tonga, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
Silver medal
UAE won a total of five gold, five silver and 11 bronze medals for a rich haul of 21 medals in addition to winning two junior events. Seven world records, 11 African, six Asian, four European and one Oceania record was set during the four days of intense competition in the new Dubai Club for the Disabled stadium.
Launch
HE Thani Juma Berregad, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Fazza World Para Athletics Championships – Dubai 2017 expressed satisfaction with tournament in general which saw the world’s best athetes vying for honours.
“We have every reason to be proud because 29 records, including seven world records, were set within four days in one of the oldest Para Athletics championships making it a perfect launch pad for the Dubai Club for the Disabled stadium which is the new iconic stadium dedicated for disabled sports in the world,” he said.
“Even our local stars sparkled in this new venue as they competed against world and Paralympic champions making a strong bid to get ranking points and qualify for the World Championships which takes place in London this summer. Our main goal of conducting the Fazza championships is to encourage our youngsters in particular to gain confidence to compete at international level and win titles,” he added.
Second
Emirati F33 thrower Aysha Salem Bani Khaled clinched her second silver medal in the Fazza World Para Athletics Championship – Dubai adding to her javelin title with her third best throw of 10.72 meters in the discus wheelchair women’s F32/33 final.
Gasmi won the gold setting a F32 world record with her third good throw of 11.37m. Germany’s Hanna Laura Magda Wichmann took the bronze setting a F32 European record with her first good throw of 9.12m. It was also new African mark.
UAE’s Zenab Al Braiki (7.68m) was ranked fourth while her compatriots Sara Al Qubaisi (7.31m), Noura Al Ketbi (6.87m), Shaikha Abdulaziz (4.00m) and Shamma Abdulaziz (2.91m) also got ranking points in this hotly contested event.
Gasmi was overjoyed after her winning start to the new season with a record breaking effort which has spurred her ambitions to achieve major international honours including at the World Championships in London.
"Participation in the Fazza Championship in Dubai is always beneficial for all of us as Arab athletes. The harvest of medals achieved by Algeria is a result of hard work and training during the period leading to the championship," said Gasmi.
Third bronze medal
Thuraya Al Zaabi claimed her third bronze medal in the Fazza World Para Athletics Dubai Grand Prix adding to her discus and javelin title with her final throw of 5.57 meters in the shot put wheelchair women’s F34 final won by Great Britain’s Vanessa Wallace (7.06m). Kuwait’s Basimah Najim (5.59m) took the silver.
UAE’s Suaad Al Hammadi (4.07m) was placed fourth and Latifa Al Suwaidi (3.85m) sixth.
Thuraya urged UAE’s young Para Athletes to focus their energies on training and to achieve success by gaining experience in actual competition.
“Throwing is not an easy sport. It is about how you position different parts of your body for shot put, javelin and discus. I’m happy with my performances but training is different from competition where you get nervous as well,” said the veteran UAE Paralympian who was overwhelmed by the new Dubai Club for the Disabled stadium.
“It is super class. I am so happy that UAE has such a great stadium. UAE is getting the best because it is doing so much good for handicapped people not only in this country for everyone,” she said.
Those who missed out on a podium position for UAE on the final day of competition were Omair Younas (29.60m) in the discus wheelchair men’s F55/56 final and Abdulla Al Mesbahi (16.54m) in the javelin wheelchair men’s F52/54 final. Aysha Khamis (3.01m) placed fourth in the shot put wheelchair women’s F53/54 final.
World record
Latvia’s Aigars Apinis set the other world record on the final day of the Fazza World Para Athletics Championship – Dubai in the discus wheelchair men’s F51/52 final with his first good throw of 21.91 meters. It was also a new European mark.
Slovakia’s Marian Kureja (10.03m) took silver while Saudi Arabia Radhi Al Harthi (9.48m) got the bronze.
A European and African record was set in the closely contested discus wheelchair men’s F57 final.
Azerbaijan Samir Nabiyev won the gold with a throw of 46.67 meters for a new European record while Egypt’s Metawa Abouelkhir set an African record with his final throw of 46.63m. Czech Republic’s Jaroslav Petrous (34.96m) took the bronze.
Regional dominance
Regional Para athletes continued to make waves in Dubai with Algeria leading the way making a podium sweep in the shot put wheelchair women’s F56/57 finals through Nadia Medjmedj (9.74m), Nassima Saifi (10.80m) and Safia Djelal (10.59m).
Bahrain won a gold and bronze in the shot put wheelchair women’s F53/54 final through Fatema Nedham (4.63m) and Amal Ali (4.81m) respectively while Czech Republic’s Eva Kacanu (5.30m) took silver.
Treble
India’s Sundar Singh Gurjar completed a treble triumph on the field with a throw of 13.36 meters in the shot put men’s T44-46 final. Egypt’s Ibrahim Ahmed Abdelwareth (14.18m) took silver and Kuwait’s Abdullah Al Saleh (12.49m) the bronze.
There was more joy for India in the shot put wheelchair women’s F55 final winning the gold and silver through Karam Jyoti (5.76m) and Shatabdi Avasthi (5.71m) edging out Egypt’s Maha Abousalem (5.70m).
“It’s an amazing facility,” Jyoti after winning on her second attempt in Dubai. The school teacher from Haryana, who became a paraplegic after suffering a spinal cord injury following a motor accident in 2008, is looking forward to the World Championship in London spurred by her success in Dubai.
India also won a silver and bronze in the high jump men’s F13/20/42/44 final won by Great Britain’s Jonathan Broom-Edwards (2.05m). Sharad Kumar (1.66m) came second and Gi Hosanagara Nagarajegowd (1.63m) third.
Greece’s Manolis Stefanoudakis won the javelin wheelchair men’s F52/54 final with his second good throw of 28.68 meters ahead of Azerbaijan’s Elvin Astanov (23.56m) and Saudi Arabia’s Saleh Al Anazi (18.80m).
Germany’s Lindy Ave won the long jump women’s T12/20/38/42/44 final leaping a distance of 4.55 meters. Great Britain’s Martina Barber (5.10m) took silver while Algeria’s Lynda Hamri (5.52m) clinch the bronze.
Middle distance
Kenya’s Wesley Kimeli Sang completed a middle distance treble by cruising to victory in the 5,000m men’s T11/12/46 final clocking 16:08.61 minutes ahead of compatriots Henry Kirwa (16:09.44) and Erick Kiptoo Sang (16:11.12).
Swiss ‘Silver Bullet’ Marcel Hug won one of the final events of 9th Fazza World Para Athletics Championship – Dubai 2017 in the 5,000m wheelchair men’s T54 final.
Hug (11:54.80) held off a strong challenge from Japan’s Masayuki Higuchi (11:54.88) and Tomoki Suzuki, (11:56.02) in a thrilling finale to the championship.
Facilities
Team GB (Great Britain) manager Katie Jones was pleased with the performance of their athletes and hailed the new Dubai Club for the Disabled stadium as “wonderful”.
“It’s fantastic. We’ve been waiting for this for a long time because we have been told it’s coming. There is not many places that would be exclusive for disabled sports. It would be integrated normally so you get Olympic and Paralympic athletes training at the same track. There is no reason why it could not happen here because it’s such a good track. An obviously with lots of people getting fast times, it’s very good. As a stand-alone disability facility it is wonderful,” said Jones.