With his starting blocks in place, Nourredine Hadid's wait was nearly over. He was about to race in the 100m in the final meet of the season, at Collège Notre Dame de Jamhour, south of Beirut.
A lengthy power cut, a frequent occurrence in Lebanon, delayed the start. Without the automatic timing technology, the sprinters would have to bide their time.
However, no power outage would dampen the spirits of Lebanon’s fastest man. Hadid had every reason to smile. These races were going to be his last competitive outing before he was to fly to the Tokyo Olympics.
“I am so ready for the Olympics, I can't wait to go,” Hadid told The National. “I feel like a new man, with new hopes, new power. To represent Lebanon in the Olympics, I am so motivated.”
The delay gave Hadid more time to relish in his achievement. Athletes who were waiting stopped to congratulate the Olympian and pose for selfies. Friends and supporters from the terraces came down to the trackside to wish him luck.
After what had been a disrupted season full of speculation, the Lebanese Olympic Committee announced in late June that Hadid would take Lebanon’s universality Olympic place, to participate in the men’s 200 metres. It had been a close call in selection. He was up against his friend and training partner Aziza Sbaity, and dual Olympian marathon-runner Chirine Njeim.
However, having scored the most points throughout the season on the World Athletics Federation’s Global Ranking system, Hadid was given the nod for Tokyo. And on Tuesday he lines up in Tokyo against world champion and gold medal favourite, Noah Lyles.
“It’s unbelievable. He is the fastest man in the world over the 200m,” said Hadid.
“You need to be focused and stay calm. So I always follow some steps - I think to myself, this is my event. I just need to do my best, I am not competing against those athletes, I am just competing against myself, and my time.
“Then when the gun goes off, I feel like if I stay low and run a good curve. I can then test myself with the runner on the outside of me. If I cross 50m-60m and I am close to him, I know I am in good shape now.”
Hadid is in his best shape, running his personal best of 20.83 in June, one of the performances that secured his place in Tokyo.
Since then, he has been inundated with messages of support from friends, family and colleagues. However, there was one message from a complete stranger that was particularly fortuitous.
After reading Hadid’s story in The National, one of his Instagram followers was compelled to reach out, and find out if she could help make a difference.
The economic situation in Lebanon, and resulting hyperinflation, has meant that the value of Hadid’s army wage has completely deteriorated, so much so that he could no longer afford to buy himself new running gear. In training, he resorted to running in old spikes that had holes in them. And when he raced, he would compete in a speed suit that was borrowed from Justin Gatlin.
“She said that she was from Lebanon but living in the US. She felt terrible about the situation here, and wanted to help,” explained Hadid.
“At first, I thought she was just talking, a lot of people say they will help, but then don’t.”
Thinking that he had nothing to lose, he sent over links to a new pair of running spikes and a new speed suit that he wanted.
Within a few days, his follower replied with a photo of the receipts and asked for a delivery address.
“I realised she was serious,” said Hadid.
Because mail services are unreliable in Lebanon, particularly international delivery, Hadid took to social media to see if anyone he knew was travelling between the US and Lebanon, and would be willing to travel with his new gear.
Through the power of Instagram, he found some help, and his new speed suit and spikes arrived in Lebanon just in time, days before his departure to Tokyo flight.
Hadid was dumbfounded by the willingness of others to help, and for his special supporter in the USA.
“I really appreciate everything, it’s really amazing,” says Hadid, “Hopefully I can meet her in Lebanon someday.”
Eventually, the power came back on in Jamhour and the races got under way. As expected, Lebanon’s fastest man recorded two more victories, in the 100m and 200m, and added the gold medals to his collection.
As much as gold may seem unlikely in Tokyo, Hadid has a clear goal in mind.
“Hopefully I can improve my time and get another personal best and national record. I think I still have hope to go through to the semi-finals. I am really close to the elite athletes. I think I have a big chance to go through to the semi-final.
“No-one knows what's going to happen. Hopefully, I can qualify through to the next round. It will be the first time ever in Lebanon’s history to do so.”
'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Janeen%20Damian%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Lindsay%20Lohan%2C%20Chord%20Overstreet%2C%20Jack%20Wagner%2C%20Aliana%20Lohan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%201%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20750hp%20at%207%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20800Nm%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%207%20Speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20332kph%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012.2L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYear%20end%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1%2C430%2C000%20(coupe)%3B%20From%20Dh1%2C566%2C000%20(Spider)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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'Of Love & War'
Lynsey Addario, Penguin Press
Match info
What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Match info
Karnataka Tuskers 110-3
J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16
Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs
K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18
SPEC%20SHEET
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The biog
Age: 32
Qualifications: Diploma in engineering from TSI Technical Institute, bachelor’s degree in accounting from Dubai’s Al Ghurair University, master’s degree in human resources from Abu Dhabi University, currently third years PHD in strategy of human resources.
Favourite mountain range: The Himalayas
Favourite experience: Two months trekking in Alaska
Dubai World Cup nominations
UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer
USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.
Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.
Specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%20turbo%204-cylinder%20%2F%202.0%20turbo%204-cylinder%20(S3)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20148bhp%20%2F%20328bhp%20(S3)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20250Nm%20%2F%20420Nm%20(S3)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20TBA%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Scores
Scotland 54-17 Fiji
England 15-16 New Zealand
Where to Find Me by Alba Arikha
Alma Books
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
