It could hardly be described as statistically seismic: just two competitors among more than 14,000 athletes from around the world.
Given a little bit of context, though, a very different picture, and one of far greater significance, starts to emerge. When the weightlifter Khadija Mohammad and the runner Bethlem Deslagn Belayneh step into the Olympic Stadium in London this month, they will be stepping into history.
Four years ago, Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum became the first woman to represent the UAE at the Olympics when she competed in the under-67kilogram Taekwondo in Beijing. She carried the country's flag at the opening ceremony.
Whether or not Khadija or Bethlem is given that honour, they will be standard bearers for the nation. And, regardless of how successful they are in their respective disciplines, their participation puts them at the forefront of women's sport in the UAE and the region as a whole.
According to the UAE Athletics Federation President and International Olympic Committee board member Ahmad Al Kamali: "This is unique. This is something very special for us in a GCC country."
The qualifying deadline for the 2012 Olympics was yesterday. For the first time, most of the UAE's athletes - 32 across seven different sports and the largest squad ever sent - have qualified on merit.
That two of these athletes are women is, to Mr Al Kamali, nothing short of remarkable, given that barely a decade ago the very notion of women competing at any serious international level was almost unthinkable.
He admits: "Ten years ago if I was talking about athletics for women people would think I was crazy.
"Now we have these girls competing and we have 18 women from the GCC going to the Olympics. This is a great change."
Gender equality in sport as an issue to be addressed is, it should be noted, not exclusive to Muslim countries. The goal is now enshrined in the Olympic Charter. In 2004, the IOC established a Women and Sport Commission with the goal of dismantling gender barriers. Only four months ago the IOC president, Jacques Rogge, spoke of the importance of continuing to strive for gender equality at the Games, announcing that women's boxing would feature for the first time in London.
He said in March: "Opening the Olympic Games to more women is not just a matter of basic fairness. The Games provide a global platform for female Olympians that inspires others to follow their example."
The last IOC conference on women and sport called for greater gender equality among national teams, leadership and technicians, and suggested that more female sports reporters cover core events.
But however global and many-layered the issue, it is one with undeniable resonance in this region, where the cultural challenges faced by sportswomen are both particular and keenly felt.
The list of Muslim women's sporting role models is inevitably short, but in 2008 the cause gained a powerful advocate when Nawal El Moutawakei joined the IOC Executive.
Being the first Muslim woman on that body added to her already impressive list of firsts. In 1984, the former 400metres runner from Morocco became, as she put it, "the first Muslim, Arab, African woman to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games". As far as she is concerned the advance of girls and women in sport is "not a revolution, it's a celebration".
Mr Al Kamali concedes: "It is a challenge educating people and educating families to allow their daughters to compete. You cannot ask to change attitudes completely in a day or night. These things take time and it is still early. A mentality has to be developed gradually."
The attempt to build that mentality, to foster awareness and encourage participation of women in sport across the region, has been telegraphed in recent months.
The second GCC Women's Sport Games took place in Abu Dhabi only last March, with more than 350 women from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE competing in a variety of sports.
In April the capital hosted its first International Conference on Women's Sports, held under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak. This year for the first time Abu Dhabi's Corporate Games will feature women-only events.
Several practical barriers to Muslim women's participation have tumbled. Last summer, the International Weightlifting Federation modified its dress rules, which had effectively barred competitors from wearing the hijab or competing in outfits that extended below the elbows and knees. Had it not, Khadija, who trains with the female coach Najwan Al Zawawi, would have been unable to compete.
As Jassim Abdullrahman Al Awazi, a board member of the Emirates Weightlifting Federation and the GCC Weightlifting Organisation, says: "It is very good for Muslim countries that this issue has been raised. It is not forced. It is a choice for the athletes if they want wear it but now there are no excuses, no reason to say no."
When she first began coaching the girls four years ago, "No" was a word with which Mrs Al Zawawi was all too familiar. The coach who competed for Egypt in the 2000 Sydney Olympics says: "When I came here everyone told me I won't be successful because our girls won't be accepted as weightlifters. No one supported me, because no one thought it could be done."
Despite numerous obstacles, her protege Khadija's ambition remains undimmed. After competing in London, the 1.52m tall Emirati wants "to become one of the top weightlifters in the world". And the more that world changes the more possible that dream appears.
This year, for the first time, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei agreed in principle that women athletes could be sent to represent their country at the Olympics. An injury to her horse robbed Dalma Rushi Malhas of the likely opportunity to become the first Saudi woman to compete at the Games. A bronze medal winner in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010, she had hoped to qualify for London but missed a vital month's work during the qualifying period.
Dalma would have been a genuine medal hope for Saudi Arabia had things been different but, truth be told, that makes her the exception to the rule when it comes to this new generation of female Olympians.
The 17-year-old Qatari sprinter Noor Al Maliki's personal best of 12.7 seconds in the 100m is more than a second slower than the Olympic qualifying standard of 11.38. The same is true of the Omani 100m sprinter Shnoona Al Habsi, "excited and nervous" at the prospect of representing her country in London. Her personal best is 12.58 secs, an Omani record, but outside any true chance of Olympic placing.
Equally, while Bethlem Belayneh's qualifying times have consistently outstripped any of those of her male counterparts on the UAE's national team, they are unlikely to propel her into the final, far lesswin a medal.
But success here need not be measured in medals alone. As Larry Barthlow, founder of the sports marketing company and events promoter, World Events Network and a champion of women's sport, explains: "It takes time to nurture athletes - especially runners. You don't just pour water on them and grow gold medals. It is impossible to get results instantly. This is a long game. We've been trying to get women more involved and girls more educated about what's out there."
It is a sentiment echoed by Mr Al Kamali. "Now in the UAE we've got about 40 girls from the age of 14 to 20 who we are preparing for the West Asian athletics meeting in November," he says.
"To get more women involved we need to get more girls involved at school. We need to communicate with their families and we need infrastructure - parents need to know there is a special place where women can practise their sports, women's indoors facilities, athletic tracks, clubs."
For this truly to take hold, the private sector must, Mr Al Kamali says, be more proactive and willing to support local girls with talent and the desire to develop it. However supportive the Government, they cannot be expected to cover the cost of training and kitting the athletes out, building facilities and so on.
"I sent many letters to local companies looking for sponsorship for our girls and I got zero response. It is very disappointing. It is a good cause for the local community. We need to change this mentality."
According to Mr Al Kamali he sees changes in attitude when, for example, local mothers turn up to cheer on their daughters at sports meetings - unheard of only a few years ago.When given the opportunities, he says, girls seem more determined to grasp them than their male counterparts.
"Honestly I am more happy with the women than the men. Because when you say to the women you have to be at the airport at 5am they are there with their parents. With the girls there is commitment and challenge. With the men we have a lot more difficulty."
Mr Barthlow has been working closely with Bethlem and her teammate Alia Mohammed Saeed, who had hoped to qualify for London. He too points to their impressive focus and determination claiming that it is "easier to coach women".
He points out: "Young girls tend to be more loyal, more focused, they work harder. They have the talent and the desire to work and succeed. They just need the opportunity.
"Look, it really should be enough at this Olympics to say of the girls who are there, 'Wow. They made it.'
"But remember this is about the future and, if we're talking about the next Olympics, we could be looking at sending some girls who are serious contenders."
lcollins@thenational.ae
More from Neighbourhood Watch
About Housecall
Date started: July 2020
Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech
# of staff: 10
Funding to date: Self-funded
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The biog
Age: 19
Profession: medical student at UAE university
Favourite book: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
Role model: Parents, followed by Fazza (Shiekh Hamdan bin Mohammed)
Favourite poet: Edger Allen Poe
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Indoor Cricket World Cup
Venue Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE squad Saqib Nazir (captain), Aaqib Malik, Fahad Al Hashmi, Isuru Umesh, Nadir Hussain, Sachin Talwar, Nashwan Nasir, Prashath Kumara, Ramveer Rai, Sameer Nayyak, Umar Shah, Vikrant Shetty
ALL THE RESULTS
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmomdov (TJK) bt Rey Nacionales (PHI) by decision.
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) bt Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR) by submission.
Catch 74kg
Omar Hussein (JOR) bt Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) by decision.
Strawweight (Female)
Seo Ye-dam (KOR) bt Weronika Zygmunt (POL) by decision.
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) bt Walid Laidi (ALG) by TKO.
Lightweight
Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) bt Leandro Martins (BRA) by TKO.
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) bt Sofiane Benchohra (ALG) by TKO.
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR) no contest.
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) bt Glen Ranillo (PHI) by TKO round 1.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) bt Aidan Aguilera (AUS) by TKO round 1.
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) bt Sasha Palatkinov (HKG) by TKO round 1.
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) by KO round 1.
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Apple's%20Lockdown%20Mode%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3EAt%20launch%2C%20Lockdown%20Mode%20will%20include%20the%20following%20protections%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMessages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Most%20attachment%20types%20other%20than%20images%20are%20blocked.%20Some%20features%2C%20like%20link%20previews%2C%20are%20disabled%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWeb%20browsing%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Certain%20complex%20web%20technologies%2C%20like%20just-in-time%20JavaScript%20compilation%2C%20are%20disabled%20unless%20the%20user%20excludes%20a%20trusted%20site%20from%20Lockdown%20Mode%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApple%20services%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EIncoming%20invitations%20and%20service%20requests%2C%20including%20FaceTime%20calls%2C%20are%20blocked%20if%20the%20user%20has%20not%20previously%20sent%20the%20initiator%20a%20call%20or%20request%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wired%20connections%20with%20a%20computer%20or%20accessory%20are%20blocked%20when%20an%20iPhone%20is%20locked%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConfigurations%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Configuration%20profiles%20cannot%20be%20installed%2C%20and%20the%20device%20cannot%20enroll%20into%20mobile%20device%20management%20while%20Lockdown%20Mode%20is%20on%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Looming%20global%20slowdown%20and%20recession%20in%20key%20economies%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Russia-Ukraine%20war%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Interest%20rate%20hikes%20and%20the%20rising%20cost%20of%20debt%20servicing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Oil%20price%20volatility%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Persisting%20inflationary%20pressures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Exchange%20rate%20fluctuations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shortage%20of%20labour%2Fskills%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20A%20resurgence%20of%20Covid%3F%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
