A group of 81 athletes will be looking to win a first gold medal for the UAE in eight years at the 17th Asian Games, which will take place in Incheon, South Korea from September 19 to October 4.
The complete squad was revealed by the UAE National Olympic Committee on Thursday and the full delegation is expected to head out to South Korea tomorrow.
The UAE has won a total of 23 medals in its history at the Asian Games, however only three of those were gold. They all came at the 2006 edition in Doha, where the Emiratis won two equestrian gold in individual and team endurance, while Mohamed Zahmi added a third in body building.
The UAE won a total of 10 medals in those Games and it remains the country’s best showing to date.
In the last Asian Games, which were held in Guangzhou in 2010, the Emiratis won four silver and one bronze.
This year’s UAE flagbearer, Sheikh Juma bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, will look to go one better after placing second in double trap shooting four years ago.
The Emirati football team will also be gunning for the highest step on the podium after coming close in Guangzhou, where they lost 1-0 to Japan in the final to settle for silver.
Sheikha Latifah bint Ahmed Al Maktoum, a Goodwill Ambassador of the Games, has had lots of success at the quadrennial Asian extravaganza, having won team bronze in showjumping in 2006 followed by two silver in individual and team showjumping in 2010.
In this edition of the Games, the UAE will compete in 13 sports.
The football team, considered one of the favourites, has been drawn in Group G alongside India and Jordan. They commence their campaign against India on September 15 at the Hwaseong Sports Complex Main Stadium and take on Jordan on September 18 at the Goyang Stadium. In showjumping, Sheikha Latifah will be joined by Abdulla Al Marri, Mohamed Al Owais, Muftah Al Dhaheri and Abdulla Al Muhairi at the Dream Park Equestrian Venue from September 28 to 30.
Olympian Mubarak Al Besher, Mohammed Al Ghaferi and Khaled Al Suwaidi will take part in swimming events, while Ahmed Al Mansouri, brothers Yousif and Badr Mirza, and Majed Al Balooshi form the UAE cycling team.
In track action, Yousif Mirza and Ahmed Al Mansouri will pair up for the Team Pursuit while the former will participate in the Omnium at Incheon International Velodrome.
Outside the track, Al Mansouri will tackle the individual Time Trial while the Mirza brothers will take on the road race.
Distance runners Betlhem Belayneh and Alia Saeed will be hoping to translate their success at the Asian Championships in Pune last year into medals at the Games.
Belayneh won two gold medals in the 1,500m and 5,000m in Pune 14 months ago, while Saeed took silver in the 10,000m.
