Mohammed Riyadh skims across the Tigris River in Baghdad with hypnotic rhythm. The sound of his oars dipping and lifting and his narrow racing shell cutting through the water is almost sacred to him, like a whispered prayer to the river by which he was raised.
“Rowing is not just a race; it’s a source of motivation, ambition, achievement and a way to bring honour to the country,” Mr Riyadh, 30, told The National.
He moves with the grace of someone who belongs to the water rather than land. He is always on the river, rowing upstream and chasing a dream seeded in the river's soft banks. His journey in rowing began as a child growing up on Baghdad's Haifa Street, which runs alongside the Tigris as it flows through the Iraqi capital.
“As our house was close to the riverbank, I used to watch players practising this sport,” he recalls, sitting by the river. “I was young at the time, and I had a passion and love for rowing, so I began practising in the junior category, then moved on to the youth and senior levels."
That passion and the dream of winning honours has propelled him to Olympic levels. Mr Riyadh is now one of about 25 competitive rowers in Iraq, fighting to bring visibility to a sport in the shadow of football stadiums and weightlifting gyms.
He began making waves in the sport from an early age, achieving a podium finish at the 2013 Asian Rowing Championships in Lu'an, China. He also qualified for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016 and the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, competing in the single sculls category. He was given the honour of being the flag-bearer for the Iraqi contingent at the 2020 Games, alongside shooter Fatimah Abbas.
At the Asian Rowing Championships in Uzbekistan last year, Mr Riyadh won gold in the light singles category and silver in the heavy doubles, together with his compatriot Bakr Shehab. “I achieved several world rankings, surpassing many world champions” he says. His drive to compete at the highest levels has earned accolades and inspired a younger generation of Iraqi rowers. But it is not without challenges.
“Rowing is extremely difficult because of the waves, strong winds − and there is no dedicated training facility,” he says. “The joy of winning is greater that anything else as it comes after all the hard work, sleepless nights, weight loss, morning and night training sessions, and the tough conditions we go through.”
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Full Party in the Park line-up
2pm – Andreah
3pm – Supernovas
4.30pm – The Boxtones
5.30pm – Lighthouse Family
7pm – Step On DJs
8pm – Richard Ashcroft
9.30pm – Chris Wright
10pm – Fatboy Slim
11pm – Hollaphonic
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
