Talal Shafeeli concludes his participation in the under 81 kg category competitions
Rashid bin Humaid visits the Olympic Village in Paris
Hind Al Otaiba: The UAE's participation in the Paris Olympics carries significant historical messages
Our national show jumping team conducts its first training at the Palace of Versailles
Yousef Al Matrooshi, the swimmer of our national team, finished 44th with a time of 50:39 seconds in the 100-metre freestyle at the 33rd Summer Olympic Games hosted by Paris from 26 July to 11 August. The games feature the participation of 10,500 athletes from 200 national Olympic committees competing in 32 sports through 329 competitions held at 35 venues. The UAE participated with 14 male and female athletes competing in 5 different sports, where Al Matrooshi broke his previous record of 50:43 seconds and concluded his participation in the event.
Talal Shafeeli, a player from our national judo team, also ended his journey at the event after losing to Puerto Rican champion Gandia Adrian in the preliminary round of the under 81 kg category at the Paris Olympics. The UAE delegation will continue its participation tomorrow, Wednesday, through Aram Gregorian, a player from our national judo team, in the under 90 kg category against the Uzbek champion Bobonov Davlat.
Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Vice President of the National Olympic Committee and head of the UAE delegation at the Paris Olympic Games, visited the Olympic Village in Paris on Monday, accompanied by His Excellency Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary-General of the National Olympic Committee, to ensure the well-being of the UAE sports delegation and the availability of all means to help them focus on their tasks and perform at their best during this important event.
Sheikh Rashid conveyed the greetings of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of the National Olympic Committee, emphasizing His Highness's appreciation of the honourable work done by the athletes through doubling their efforts and achieving positive results, and upholding the principles of fair competition, friendship, and respect.
Sheikh Rashid also received several dignitaries at the UAE Olympic House in the presence of Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State; Her Excellency Hind Manea Al Otaiba, Ambassador of the UAE to the French Republic; His Excellency Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary-General of the National Olympic Committee; His Excellency Ganem Mubarak Al Hajri, Director General of the General Authority for Sports; His Excellency Amal Bushalakh, Member of the Board of Directors of the National Olympic Committee; Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA); Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, President of the Kuwaiti Olympic Committee; Sheikh Mubarak Faisal Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Vice President of the Kuwaiti Olympic Committee; Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Vice President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee; and His Excellency Ario Pimo Nandito Aryotidjo, Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Indonesia. The meetings reviewed ways of cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and the brotherly and friendly countries in the fields of Olympic and sports fields, as well as the participation in the Paris Olympic Games, aiming to enhance the country's role and status on the global sports map.
Sheikh Rashid also met with Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, on the sidelines of his visit to the French Olympic House, and Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, during a reception organised by the Saudi Olympic Committee for participating delegations.
Sheikh Rashid inaugurated a panel discussion at the UAE Olympic House in Paris titled "Beyond the Olympics: The Role of the Olympics and Public Diplomacy in Shaping National Identity," chaired by Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State.
Her Excellency Hind Al Otaiba, Ambassador of the UAE to the French Republic, said, “The UAE's participation in the 33rd Summer Olympics in Paris carries messages of significant historical implications. It reflects the UAE leadership's keen interest in ensuring a prominent presence at major global and sporting events, leaving a positive impact and strong impression of the nation among the international community, positioning the UAE as a distinguished global model in various fields.”
Al Otaiba said: "Sporting events play a pivotal role in developing relations between countries and enhancing cultural dialogue. We are pleased that the unique relationship between the UAE and the French Republic is growing stronger at all levels. We look forward to the UAE sports mission's participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics and are delighted that the UAE embassy in France is actively involved in the preparations and facilitation of the state's representative delegation. We are committed to supporting and ensuring the success of this participation at various levels. “The participation of UAE police forces in securing the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is in itself a significant development that reflects the strength of bilateral relations and the depth of the diverse partnerships existing between the two friendly countries."
"The opening of the UAE Olympic House, coinciding with the participation in the Paris Olympic Games, offers an excellent opportunity to explore the cultural and historical heritage of the UAE, especially with thousands of visitors flocking to the French capital throughout the event. The house is open to the public daily for free, providing an inspiring and unique experience about the UAE, showcasing the noble principles and foundations laid by the late founder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The UAE embassy and all its teams are fully prepared to serve the sports delegation participating in the games, providing all assistance to ensure the success of this participation and enabling athletes to focus on representing the nation honourably and presenting a commendable image of Emirati sports.
"Many programs and activities are accompanying the UAE delegation's participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics. We have a busy schedule of events related to this participation, and therefore, we strive to maximise the benefits from the event and leave a good impression of the UAE's participation, showcasing our diverse culture and rich heritage," concluded Al Otaiba.
Abdullah Al Wahaibi, the Head of the interim committee of the UAE Swimming Federation, confirmed that the federation has been working for some time on preparing a new generation of young swimmers and supporting them by participating in various local, Gulf, Arab, and Asian championships. The aim is to give them experience and refine their talents to bridge the gap that occurred with the retirement of a large number of senior swimmers who were recently champions of the Gulf.
The chairman of the interim committee expressed his satisfaction with the achievements in the first Gulf Youth Games held in the UAE last April, which saw the participation of about 20 swimmers, none older than 14 years—a testament to the good work of the clubs and the national team committee.
Al Wahaibi noted that Yousef Al Matrooshi, who has now completed two years of study and training in America, is one of the best examples of commitment to training and ongoing communication, whether with the federation or Al Wasl Club. There is ongoing planning and strategies set to involve him in championships that help him develop, pointing out that Yousef Al Matrooshi's goal in participating in the Paris Olympics is to achieve the official Olympic qualifying time.
Al Wahaibi praised the significant role played by the General Authority for Sports through its sponsorship of the sports talent adoption program across various sports, where Yousef Al Matrooshi's professional project is the fruit of this important program to support outstanding athletes.
Our national show jumping team participating in the Paris Olympics conducted its first training session at the Palace of Versailles to acclimatise to the venue hosting the competitions, following the arrival of the horses in Paris where a veterinary inspection will be conducted tomorrow, alongside the second training session for the riders through the warm-up round.
Japan topped the overall medal table of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on the seventh day of the event with 12 medals: 6 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze. France, the host nation, was second with 16 medals: 5 gold, 8 silver, and 3 bronze. China came in third with 12 medals: 5 gold, 5 silver, and 2 bronze. Australia was fourth with 9 medals: 5 gold and 4 silver. South Korea was fifth with 9 medals: 5 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze. The United States was sixth with 20 medals: 3 gold, 8 silver, and 9 bronze. Tunisia was ranked 22nd with one silver medal, and Egypt was 29th with one bronze.
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