UAE royal quits sport and targets home federation

The UAE’s Olympic shooting gold medallist Sheikh Ahmed al-Maktoum has called it quits just months before the London Games after being diagnosed with a heart ailment.“I had to retire due to a heart problem suddenly. Basically I have got a problem of heart enlargement, which was caused by a virus through cold. It has weakened my heart muscles and the heart performance has dropped very low. I couldn’t do any activity than walk for 1.2km. Can’t shoot consistently a lot and the doctors advised me to stay away from all competition and I was forced to retire,” said al-Maktoum, while speaking to Gulf Times at the ongoing Asian Shooting Championship.The 2004 Athens double trap shooting gold medallist said the news was a rude shock for him. “It was shocking as I have lived healthy all my life. But again it has nothing to do with fitness; it has something to do with luck. As a Muslim, I believe in God and I accept it,” said al-Maktoum adding that, he was very much looking forward to the 2012 Games.“Yes, I was very much looking forward to the London Olympics. I knew it would have been my last and that would have been my fourth Olympics. I would always cherish the gold I took at the Athens as my most memorable moment.“I felt very proud to see that medal around my neck and to see my country flag go up. It was a great feeling and I hope the new generation will follow me. I strongly believe in them and their chance starts from tomorrow here.”Al-Maktoum has always been very vocal about his views on various issues and yesterday he launched an astonishing attack on his national federation.“I’m coaching two shooters here, of course unofficially. We have a big problem and write it down with a big headline. We don’t believe in each other. We Arabs don’t believe in each other. If I’m a foreigner, they will believe me and that is a problem. But again, it is not my problem, it is their problem. I have done what I have needed and if they have to look to future, there is only one way — change,” the UAE royal said.Al-Maktoum is still unsure of the role he is going to play in the sport he loves the most and he has the reasons for it.“I have not thought about any administrative position as of now. Neither has anyone approached me for any such positioning. If they approach me also, I will accept it only if they allow me to run it the right way. But if they give me a post and they tell me to do what they want to do, then it is not me,” says al-Maktoum crediting his success to his father.“Despite being a member of the royal family, my father never gave me anything for nothing. He always needed success from my side to be given extra. We always sat down after hunting and he used to count my good shots and bad shots. If he gave me ten shots to go hunting and I have done bad, then next time he used to make me sit and say, ‘I will go and show how to do it son’. And only when I do well he would award me. It is the way it should be.”The 48-yr-old was of the view that his sport was heading towards disaster in the UAE.“Back home, this sport is not taken that seriously. We need to change and catch up with the rest of the world. We Arabs have to change our attitude towards life and not just the sport. We cannot just live in luxury – beautiful cars, beautiful malls and wear beautiful clothes. These things don’t make champion guys, our generation should learn to suffer in the real life.”