Mohamed Al Hammadi said he can take "a lot of positives" from the Tokyo Paralympics after the Emirati athlete claimed his second medal of the Games with a silver in the T34 wheelchair 800-metres on Saturday.
Al Hammadi, who won bronze in the 100m T34 on Monday, was nail-bitingly close to defending his 800m Paralympic title but had to settle for silver behind Tunisia's Walid Ktila, who took gold with a time of one minute 45.50 seconds, just 0.09 ahead of Al Hammadi.
China’s Yang Wang took bronze with a season best time of 1:45.68 in a race that saw the first three finish well clear of the rest of the field.
“We have been racing against each other for a very long time. I win some and he wins some. This time it was his day,” said Al Hammadi, who beat Ktila to gold at Rio 2016.
“It was a very close race between the first three to cross the line. It is always disappointing when you come so close and lose, but that’s what these competitions are all about.
“I can still take a lot of positives from this result. To be on the podium two times in two competitions at a Paralympic Games I believe is a good result. I am happy with my performance and I am happy for my good friend Walid.”
The UAE now won have three medals in Tokyo following shooter Abdulla Sultan Al Aryani’s gold in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 on Friday.
“To have won a gold, silver and bronze in a Paralympic Games from a squad of 12 athletes is a pretty good achievement from the UAE,” said Al Hammadi, who took his overall Paralympics medal tally to five after a silver and a bronze at London 2012 in the 200m and 100m T34 respectively.
The wheelchair racer is also hoping the trio of shooters in the Mixed 50 Rifle Prone – Abdulla Sultan, Abdulla Saif Al Aryani and Saif Al Nuaimi – can add another medal or two in Sunday’s final day of the Games.
“We are not done yet,” Al Hammadi said. “We still have a chance to win a medal or two with our shooters Abdulla Sultan, Abdulla Saif and Saif Al Nuami on the final day.
“Abdulla Sultan has been around in the top flight in the world for a long time. He won gold at London 2012 and winning gold on Friday must surely have raised his confidence.
“He won three silvers at Rio and I am really hopeful for him to add another medal for us.”
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
How to help or find other cats to adopt
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
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2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
Dr Graham's three goals
Short term
Establish logistics and systems needed to globally deploy vaccines
Intermediate term
Build biomedical workforces in low- and middle-income nations
Long term
A prototype pathogen approach for pandemic preparedness
FIXTURES
UAE’s remaining fixtures in World Cup qualification R2
Oct 8: Malaysia (h)
Oct 13: Indonesia (a)
Nov 12: Thailand (h)
Nov 17: Vietnam (h)
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.
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
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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.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
