The UAE racked up five more medals on the final day to take their final tally to 17 at the Dubai 2022 World Para Athletics Grand Prix – 13th Fazza International Para Athletics Championships.
Noura Al Ketbi, winner of the host nation’s only gold in the women’s wheelchair F34 shot put, wrapped up with silver in an Asian record throw of 19.46m in the women’s club F32 final.
Algeria’s Mounia Gasmi (21.74m) won the gold and Al Ketbi’s teammate Thekra Al Kaabi (18.67m) took bronze at the Dubai Club for People of Determination.
“For us to win 17 medals and for me to be able to chip in with a gold and silver in that tally was a real good performance that we can be proud as a team,” Al Ketbi, silver medallist at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, said.
“As the host of this championship, we were able to field as many as 50 entries, obviously with the objective of providing them the opportunity to compete at this level.
“Personally, it was a very good competition for me. I can take a lot of positives forward and continue with my preparation for the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou later this year.”
Colombia topped the list with 25 medals, made up of 12 golds, eight silvers and five bronze. Algeria, with 11 golds, four silvers, and one bronze, finished second. The UAE was placed 19th with one gold, 10 silvers and six bronze.
Sara Al Jneibi grabbed her second silver medal of the championships in the women’s javelin wheelchair F33/34/54 with a throw of 8.51m.
Algeria’s Asmahane Boudjadar (11.99m) took gold and Emirati Aishah Salem Al Khaaldi (8.49m) clinched the bronze.
Abbad Ali added another silver to UAE’s medals tally in the men’s discus F11/37 with an effort of 37.04m. Kuwait’s Hamed Ali (41.54) took the gold.
Marcel Hug broke the world record when winning the men’s T54 wheelchair 5,000m final.
The Swiss Paralympic star clocked 9 minutes 32.32 seconds to set his second world record in as many weeks after his effort at the Sharjah International Meeting.
“It’s amazing and I’m really happy with my form right now,” Hug said. “It was my goal to come here and break the world record.
“The conditions are always perfect here. Besides it’s a very fast track so I had a great chance to get a good time here. First, I did it in Sharjah and then here.
“The Fazza Championships has always been an important competition for me and I have been coming here for many years. It’s a good opportunity to see where I stand and where I have to improve in my training besides trying different tactics.”
source/content: thenationalnews.com
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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)