Thursday 28 / November / 2024
Times News Service
Paris: Oman’s campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympics concluded on a disappointing note on Saturday, as star sprinter Ali Anwar Al Balushi failed to advance from the preliminary 100m heat.
Al Balushi clocked 10.26 seconds, finishing sixth among eight sprinters at Stade de France. Competing in Heat 3 alongside favourites and world No. 1 American sprinter Noah Lyles, Al Balushi’s performance fell short of his personal best of 10.14 seconds.
Great Britain’s Louie Hinchliffe topped the heat with a time of 9.98 seconds, followed by Lyles at 10.04 seconds and South Africa’s Shaun Maswanganyi at 10.06 seconds.
Commenting on the race, Al Balushi said, “The competition was very tough, especially Heat No. 3 with gold medal favourite Noah Lyles running along us. This was my Olympic debut, and it gave me a chance to compete with the greats and gain valuable experience.”
He added, “My participation here in Paris will help me in future regional races. I will work with my coach to improve my weaknesses and build on my strengths. I am only 22 and confident that I will achieve much more in the future.”
Earlier on Friday, Oman’s women sprinter Mazoon al Alawi finished seventh in her preliminary heat of the 100m race at Stade de France, marking her third Olympic appearance. The 26-year-old clocked 12.58 seconds, failing to advance.
Following the exits of the two sprinters, Oman’s campaign came to an end. Earlier, swimmer Issa Al Adawi and shooter Said Al Khatri also made early exits in their respective events,
OOC Secretary General engages in key meetings
Taha Al Kishry, Secretary General of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC), attended an official reception hosted by the Qatar Olympic Committee in Paris.
He also participated in a consultative and coordination meeting of the GCC Olympic Committees, chaired by Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Olympic Committee. Additionally, Al Kishry attended the official reception hosted by the Olympic Council of Asia.
Fifth Olympics as DCO for Shuaib Al Zadjali
Off the track, Oman’s Shuaib Al Zadjali marked a milestone at Paris 2024 by serving as a Doping Control Officer (DCO) in his fifth Olympics.
Selected by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Al Zadjali has previously served in Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016, and Tokyo 2020.
Al Zadjali said, “My participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as a DCO is an honour. I am the only Gulf representative in this capacity, and this marks my seventh Olympic participation overall. Besides the four previous Summer Games, I have also participated in the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games, and the 2018 Winter Olympics. I have also worked as a DCO at the FIFA World Cups in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.”
He expressed gratitude to the Oman Olympic Committee and the Oman Committee for Sports Medicine and Anti-Doping for their continuous support. “Special thanks to WADA officials for their trust. This participation provides me with significant opportunities to gain more experience and enhance my expertise in this field,” Al Zadjali concluded.
