Humaid Al Ansari and Amna Al Muhairi Conclude UAE Delegation’s First Day of Competition in Harbin
Athletes Post Positive Results at the Asian Winter Games
The ninth Asian Winter Games, hosted by Harbin, China, from 7 to 14 February, officially opened yesterday (Friday), featuring 1,500 athletes from 34 Asian Olympic Committees. Seven athletes across three sports represent the United Arab Emirates.
Amna Al Muhairi, a snowboarder, and Sultan Al Kindi, a freestyle skier, carried the UAE flag during the opening ceremony, which was divided into three segments under the theme “Dream of Winter, Love among Asia.” The ceremony showcased captivating scenes that combined artistic creativity and modern technology to depict a winter uniting heartsthroughout the Asian continent.
Today (Saturday), Humaid Al Ansari competed in the men’s snowboarding competition against 19 athletes from 11 Asian countries. He earned a total of 23.50 points from six attempts, finishing in eighth place. Meanwhile, Amna Al Muhairi secured 26.75 points for sixth place in the women’s snowboarding competition, which featured nine participants from five countries.
The UAE National Winter Sports Team continues its campaign tomorrow, as three athletes—Hassan Al Fardan, Abdullah Al Balushi, and Alex Estridge—are set to compete in the Slalom event alongside 59 other competitors from 22 countries.
UAE snowboarder Amna Al Muhairi expressed her delight at participating in the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, which comes just a year after her first appearance in the Youth Olympic Games in South Korea. She noted that the snowboard competitions featured strong performances while emphasising that competing at a continental event of this scale is already a significant achievement.
Al Muhairi added that her pre-Games training camp in Austria focused on refining technical aspects of her performance and boosting physical fitness, alongside following medical advice on injury recovery. She highlighted that her result in Harbin reflects the experience she has gained through previous participations.
Ibrahim Khadem: International participations provide athletes with a strong impetus to remain competitive, sustain performance, and uphold technical readiness
• The athletes underwent high-level training under harsh weather conditions
• We thank all those who support the UAE’s snow sports journey and their continual follow-up of every development
His Excellency Ibrahim Khadem, Board Member of the Emirates Winter Sports Federation, affirmed that this is the UAE’s first participation in snowboarding—encompassing both slalom and freestyle—and its third overall appearance in winter sports at the continental level. He stressed that such participation advances the nation’s trajectory in winter disciplines, despite the UAE’s geographical characteristics, which have not prevented Emiratis from achieving success at major sporting events.
He noted that the high-level training camps undertaken by UAE athletes—conducted under harsh weather conditions—were crucial to ensuring their readiness. Khadem also emphasised that the determination and advanced performances shown by the athletes represent a pivotal moment in the UAE’s progress in skiing.
Khadem extended his appreciation to the media for their sustained support of the UAE’s snow sports endeavours, as well as for their consistent coverage and encouragement of the national team throughout its journey.
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