https://arab.news/z7qeu
- Three athletes from the Kingdom earned enough qualifying points to be eligible to compete at the Games but only one could be selected
- The Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee chose Fayik Abdi to represent the country in Beijing; he will compete in the giant slalom
RIYADH: Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz, vice president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, honored the members of the Saudi winter sports team who made history by qualifying for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
On behalf of Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the minister of sport and president of SOPC, Prince Fahd congratulated alpine skiers Salman Al-Howaish (slalom) and Fayik Abdi (giant slalom), and cross country skier Rakan Alireza during a reception at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex in Riyadh.
All three earned enough qualifying points to be eligible to compete in Beijing but Saudi Arabia was only allocated one place at the Games, which was ultimately awarded by the SOPC to Abdi after a technical comparison of the qualifiers.
“Qualifying in itself is an honor and a victory,” Prince Fahd told them, adding that their names will go down in history of sport in the Kingdom as the first Saudis to reach the qualification standard for the Winter Olympics.
He urged Abdi to do his best and represent the Kingdom in a fitting manner, and said that all three will receive a financial award for qualifying.
Abdulaziz Al-Anazi, the secretary-general of the SOPC, and Ahmed Al-Tabbaa, the president of the Saudi Winter Sports Federation, also attended the reception.
The 2022 Winter Olympics begin in Beijing on Feb. 4