WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
Having the foundations wiped away would be damaging for any sport. To be knocked back a decade would have most beaten.
But for the UAE Wrestling and Judo Federation, it was all part of the challenge.
Founded at the turn of the century, the federation made rapid progress, with commendable results on their international debut at the Asian Championship in Wuhan in 2005 and a first appearance in the 2006 Asian Games.
However, all the hard work fell apart in one stunning moment when they lost the entire national wrestling team to jiu-jitsu, with Faisal Al Ketbi, Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Yasser Al Qubaisi among the defectors.
Having made the switch, Al Ketbi used his wrestling background to become the most decorated Emirati fighter. But jiu-jitsu’s gain was wrestling’s pain.
"We lost the first generation of our wrestlers, meaning we fell 10 years behind and were back to square one," Nasser Al Tamimi, general secretary of the UAE Wrestling and Judo Federation told The National.
“Faisal won the UAE’s first international wrestling gold at the Asian Junior Championship in Kazakhstan in 2006. We had hopes he would represent us at the Olympics. he even had the potential to reach the medal round.”
Al Ketbi, now 33, won silver at the 2010 West Asian Championship and Al Qubaisi, 35, bagged two silvers at the 2010 Pan Arab Championship and 2011 Pan Arab Games.
“They built solid bases in wrestling and took that forward to be successful in jiu-jitsu,” Al Tamimi added.
“We didn’t want to stop them from doing what they wanted to do. It was their decision and after all they were representing the UAE either way.”
Until the federation was founded, wrestling remained a traditional sport mainly in the Northern Emirates, particularly in Fujairah and Kalba.
Forming a federation to pursue Olympic goals was the idea of Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, who introduced jiu-jitsu to the UAE while completing his studies in the United States.
“Sheikh Tahnoun is known as the father of martial art sports in the UAE and it was his idea to provide the Emirati youth the opportunity of becoming Olympians,” Al Tamimi said.
“Wrestling is one of the oldest Olympic sports. We had federations for every martial art sport but not wrestling. Actually, we started work two years before we founded the federation. Judo was brought under the same federation in 2002.”
Moldovan-born Sergiu Toma created history by winning judo bronze at the Rio Olympics in 2016. He was only the second UAE medal winner after Sheikh Ahmed Al Hasher's shooting gold in Athens eight years earlier.
The federation naturalised three Moldovans in 2013 and all three qualified for Rio. Victor Scvortov and Ivan Remarenco have also qualified for the Tokyo Games, now rescheduled for next year after the pandemic.
“We tried creating a similar pathway for wrestling but it became more difficult and complex to naturalise them, unlike the judokas,” Al Tamimi said.
The UAE federations are already trying to encourage long-time expatriate residents and homegrown talent to showcase their skills in local competitions.
“We have already identified a couple of youngsters who have been included in our high performance training,” Al Tamimi said.
“After losing our wrestling’s first generation we were back to square one. It meant we had to start all over again to create a second generation. We have decent cadets and juniors who regularly take part in the regional and continental competitions.”
One athlete who has made the grade and is now stepping into the senior category is Bader Al Ali, who turns 21 in September and has been shortlisted for the 2022 Asian Games by head coach Shaban El Sayed.
Al Ali won gold at the Arab Championship Juniors and competed in the senior category at the same competition to take silver in the 124-kilogram weight in Cairo last year.
“Bader has been our most promising junior and he can compete in the adult division, which means he becomes eligible to compete at the Asian Games,” said El Sayed, an Egyptian who represented his country at the Sydney Olympics.
“We haven’t been able to participate in any international competitions this year because of the Covid-19 situation. We are now preparing for next year.”
The wrestling initiative consists of a school programme and training centres spread across every major city in all seven Emirates.
The domestic calendar includes a national league comprising 14 competitions, President’s Cup and a couple of open competitions held from October to April.
“We plan to stage an international championship once our new federation headquarters is ready next year, and obviously a regular event similar to our annual judo Grand Slam Abu Dhabi,” Al Tamimi said.
Test series fixtures
(All matches start at 2pm UAE)
1st Test Lord's, London from Thursday to Monday
2nd Test Nottingham from July 14-18
3rd Test The Oval, London from July 27-31
4th Test Manchester from August 4-8
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Read more about the coronavirus
Famous left-handers
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- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
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- Barack Obama
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NBA Finals so far
(Toronto lead 3-1 in best-of-seven series_
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
SANCTIONED
- Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
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- Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
- Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
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
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
if you go
The flights
Emirates fly direct from Dubai to Houston, Texas, where United have direct flights to Managua. Alternatively, from October, Iberia will offer connections from Madrid, which can be reached by both Etihad from Abu Dhabi and Emirates from Dubai.
The trip
Geodyssey’s (Geodyssey.co.uk) 15-night Nicaragua Odyssey visits the colonial cities of Leon and Granada, lively country villages, the lake island of Ometepe and a stunning array of landscapes, with wildlife, history, creative crafts and more. From Dh18,500 per person, based on two sharing, including transfers and tours but excluding international flights. For more information, visit visitnicaragua.us.
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Schedule for Asia Cup
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
MATCH INFO
Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)
Match is live on BeIN Sports
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
SUNDAY'S ABU DHABI T10 MATCHES
Northern Warriors v Team Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangla Tigers v Karnataka Tuskers, 5.45pm
Qalandars v Maratha Arabians, 8pm
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
