Only a year into its new mandate Qatari Ebrahim al-Romaihi’s 26th place finish marks significant moment both personally for him and future of triathlon.
The Qatar Cycling and Triathlon Federation (QCTF), which formally saw Triathlon included within its strategic focus a year ago, celebrated a significant moment at the beginning of September with Ebrahim al-Romaihi’s participation in the Asian Games.
Ebrahim, who was crowned the 1st Qatari national champion earlier this year, competed in his first major championship, finishing the Olympic Distance Event in 2h13:34, to come 26th overall.
On his participation he comments, “This was a very good experience for me, I learned a lot, and I’m more motivated than ever, to represent Qatar internationally in the future. I’m especially happy to have been competitive with other athletes from the GCC, who train full time, while I have a full-time job. Achieving a personal best time is a bonus as well”
The Federation’s Triathlon coach Mat O’Halloran: “Ebrahim had a very good race considering his lack of experience in top-level International Triathlon Union races compared to the other athletes. There’s lots of room for improvements, and with his mindset, he can continue to improve consistently over the years. It’s a promising first step in the right direction, not just for him, but for the next generation of Qatari triathletes, where he will lead the way, with the right example”
Dr Mohamed al-Kuwari, QCTF President, comments, “Ebrahim’s participation marks the first of what the Qatar Cycling and Triathlon Federation hopes will be many elite senior and juniors participating at major championships. I congratulate the team of coaches, co-ordinators, administrators, local clubs and event organisers that collectively have worked so hard to develop triathlon in Qatar to help make this possible. We hope that working together, we can extend this success over the coming years and bring more young Qatari athletes to the international status”.
Professor Nasser al-Mohannadi, QCTF Vice President, leading the triathlon programmes, adds, “We hope this success will inspire many more young Qatari’s with a passion for swimming, cycling or running to make themselves known to see if they have what it takes. Interested athletes should email the federation to explore the possibility of joining our development programme.”
Interested young athletes can contact the federation by e-mailing [email protected]
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