DOHA, 6 December 2006 — Weightlifter Ramzi Al-Mahrous just missed a medal yesterday but Saudi Arabia are banking on athletics and equestrian in the next few days to rev up their campaign in the 15th Asian Games here.
At the end of the fourth day of competition, Saudi teams who battled in seven events yesterday failed to win any medals. However, the Kingdom rocketed to 14th in the medal standings thanks to the bowling gold medal won by brothers Bader and Hassan Al-Sheikh who ruled the doubles final on Monday.
Athletics and equestrian, both scheduled at the weekend, are the sports expected to boost the Saudi campaign.
The Kingdom open their bid in water polo today and resume campaign in handball where their team are among those to watch having placed third during the West Asian Games in Doha in 2005.
Twenty-one years old Saudi lifter Abas Al-Qaisoum, placed 7th with a total lift of 321kg in the men’s 85kg category. He hoisted 141kg in the snatch and 180kg in the clean and jerk.
It was Al-Mahrous, 24, who caused excitement among Saudi fans at the Al-Dana Banquet Hall when he tied Wei Chun Hsieh of Chinese Taipei in total lift of 355 kg.
But Hsieh was awarded the bronze in the men’s 94kg category because of his lighter body weight of 93.51kg to Al-Mahrous’s 93.69. Al-Mahrous lifted 158kg in the snatch and 197 in the clean and jerk with his Taiwanese opponent matching those numbers in reverse order.
The Al-Shaikh brothers, meantime, teamed with Faisal Juraifani in the first block of six games in the men’s trios final to compile total pinfalls of 1,867 for seventh place at the Qatar Bowling Center. Their teammates Ahmad Saad Al-Hdyan, Faisal Sugati and Yousif Akbar were in 28th position after carding total pinfalls of 1,696. Malaysia and the Philippines are the leaders after the first session with 1,998 and 1,989 respectively.
Bader All-Muhana, 18, placed 6th in his heat as he clocked 25.92 yesterday at the Hamad Aquatic Center in the men’s 50m butterfly.
After 3:59 the Saudi hopes on judoka Eisa Majrashi, 20, evaporated when he lost his match in the -60kg round of 32 contest against Korean Nam Suk Cho at the Qatar Sports Club Indoor Hall.
Bad breaks continued to hound the Saudi snooker doubles team of Ahmed and Nezar Aseeri, 29, when they lost their second game against Qataris Mohsen Bukshaisha and Ahmed Saif 3-1 in the round of 32. The defeat followed their first match loss against Bahraini players Munther Al-Basri and Habib Humod on Monday.
Cyclist Bader Al-Yasin, 22, placed 13th with a clocking of 1:02:53.51.in the men’s individual time trial at Al-Khor Road Course.
At Lusail Shooting Range Hadi Al-Qahtani, 42, placed 29th with a score of 538 at the men’s 50m pistol qualification. He, however, fared better with a 9th place finish in the men’s 50m pistol team with Saleh Al-Anazi, 47, and Ayedh Al-Malki, 39, scoring 1597. Al-Anazi was also placed 39th as he scored 523 in the men’s 50m pistol qualification and Al-Malki had 536 for 30th.
Medal Ceremony
Meantime, the medal ceremony took place yesterday at the Qatar Bowling Center for the first event contested in bowling where the Al-Sheikh brothers won the gold in the men’s doubles final.
The proud father Abdullah Al-Sheikh attended the ceremony in which his sons Bader and Hassan were awarded gold medals. Ibrahim Al-Juraifani, president of the Saudi Bowling Federation, also attended the ceremony. “I feel so proud today of the stage the players have reached in the Asian Games,” he said.
He said that the Saudi bowling team were being prepared for the Asian Games 2006 since the beginning of this year.
“The Saudi bowling team participated in five championships this year which honed their skills and got them ready for this big championship, Asiad 2006.”
They participated in the World Championship in Korea where they finished seventh. In the Arab Youth Championship in Kuwait , they clinched three gold, three silver medals and a bronze. They wound up fifth in an international bowling championship in Germany . In the Gulf Championship that took place recently in Jeddah, they got three silver and two bronze medals.
They also participated in Asia Bowling Championship in Jakarta , Indonesia . “Although the Gulf Bowling Championship took place at home they did not score as much as they could have achieved because all the training was focused on what suits the criteria of the Asian Games even in the lane oiling used in this championship,” said Al-Juraifani.
