UAE shooter Yasmin Tahlak will fly to Nanjing, China, today to take part in the Youth Olympics but her coach Hassan Mohsen admits the 17-year-old’s preparations have not been the best.
Tahlak, who will take part in the 10m air rifle competition at the Games, qualified to the Youth Olympics by virtue of her top-10 finish at the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing last year.
The Sharjah Ladies Club shooter took up the sport four years ago and her coach Mohsen says his student has done well to dominate the Gulf region.
But he concedes that Tahlak’s studies this year affected her preparation for the Youth Olympic Games and that her exams prevented her from traveling abroad for an intensive training camp.
“To be honest her preparation hasn’t been 100 per cent,” Mohsen told Sport360° yesterday, prior to their departure to China.
“She needed to undergo intensive training in camps here and abroad but she had exams up until a few weeks ago, it was her final year in high school so she was studying and that had an effect on her training.
“We’ve been training at the club but she really is lacking competition experience at the moment. It would have been better if she had competed in any meets abroad before the Games, but unfortunately there was no time.
“It’s just a matter of bad timing. Our hope is for her to qualify to the final but it will be tough. Only the top eight in qualifying make it to the final so it would be a great achievement if she makes it.
“Her showing in Nanjing last year was very promising. The fact that she placed 10th amongst all the Asian junior shooters is a good indication of good things to come in the future.”
Tahlak is one of five UAE athletes who are set to compete at the Youth Olympics, which take place from August 16 to 28.
Swimmers Yaaqoub Al Saadi and Ali Al Kaabi and sailor Hamad Al Hammadi will also be in action in China.
