Khalil al-Jabir is a pragmatic man. Not for him the fancy talk or self-importance that officials in his capacity are often prone to. Instead, he prefers to go about his business with a healthy mix of humility, caution and quiet optimism.

Barely 48 hours before the 17th Asian Games are declared open in this South Korean port city, al-Jabir, Qatar’s Chef-de-Mission, chose to play down his role in his typically humble way when asked what his expectations were from the 260-strong squad.

“It’s not my business to tell the athletes what I expect from this. I have left this to the coaches, the trainers and managers of the teams,” al-Jabir told reporters yesterday.

“As the head of the Qatari mission my job is to ensure that our athletes are comfortable with their surroundings and that they have all the facilities they need so that they can perform with a calm and clear mind,” he added.

Many in Qatar’s squad have been here two weeks in advance to get acclimatized to the conditions, and al-Jabir was pleased there were no complaints so far.

“I can feel that they are happy. We set up everything for them to keep them in good cheer. Hopefully they will give their all when the competitions begin.”

Al-Jabir said he had confidence in Qatar’s ability to compete with the best in Asia but he held himself back from predicting how many gold medals would fall in the country’s kitty.

“At the last Asian Games we won 16 medals, including four golds. I’ll be more than pleased if we go on to better that tally,” he said.

Three of the four gold medals in Guangzhou came from athletics, with Femi Ogunode claiming two of those -- in the 200 and 400 metres. Mutaz Barshim’s high-jump title and the team gold in men’s skeet completed the tally.

“Of course when Qatar takes part in any event, there are great expectations from our track and field stars and that’s natural because it’s them who have won most medals for the country.

“We are blessed to have Mutaz Barshim. As you know he is the World Indoor champion and the bronze winner at the London Olympics in 2012. He is also defending his Asian Games title won at Guangzhou and would be keen to keep it.”

Al-Jabir was also happy with the fact that Qatar’s contingent also includes 50 women, with many taking part in an event of this stature for the first time.

“There are quite a few women shooters who have been doing well at the GCC and Arab levels and only a couple of days ago Saeeda Tuaib became the first Qatari female shooter to win a silver medal at a World Championship.”

Tuaib claimed the honour in the 10m rifle category in the event held in Spain to boost the morale of the Asian Games squad.

“The World Championship silver medal is indeed a great achievement for Qatar which would certainly go a long way in attracting more women to take up shooting,” he said.

Women are also competing in basketball and taekwondo although they are here just for the experience which would boost their chances in regional competitions.

“We at the Qatar Olympic Committee are very keen on encouraging women’s sports and I am sure we will see them winning competitions regularly in the near future,” added al-Jabir.

Meanwhile, the Athletes Village was buzzing with activity with dozens of squads pouring in yesterday from all parts of Asia.

The Chinese men’s and women’s cricket teams lugging their heavy kits were a subject of curiosity as photographers clicked away merrily.

Never shy of competing, the Chinese are investing heavily in cricket and are being coached by former Pakistan Test player Rashid Khan.

“Chinese authorities are keen to develop cricket in the country. Lots of schools now play cricket as part of their sports calendar,” said Khan.

 

 

 

 

 

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