Alameda O.N. Triathlon Team hope to unearth world and Olympic champions in Middle East

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  • Growing in popularity: Prince Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain crosses the Challenge Triathlon Bahrain finish line earlier this month.

    The Arab world might have its first world or Olympic champion triathlete in the near future as a new triathlon team is set to be formed with the sole aim of creating stars in the sport from the region.

    The Alameda O.N. Triathlon Team will officially launch on January 9 at the Luxor Temple in Egypt, where the professional triathlete team members will be announced.

    The pro team will include four triathletes and while organisers are yet to release the names, the roster includes a UAE-based professional as well as “multiple world champions” according to Team Manager Hassan Afifi.

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    Alongside the pro team, a development squad will be formed, comprised of promising prospects in the Arab region.

    The elite team will be supporting the development squad through mentoring and sharing their vast experiences with the young athletes. Meanwhile, the pros will be getting all the support they need to stay on top of their game, as they represent the Alameda O.N Tri Team.

    Through joining forces with the Arab Triathlon Confederation, Alameda O.N. Tri Team will be going to schools and sports clubs around the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region throughout the year, promoting an active and healthy lifestyle, as well as raising awareness for triathlon.

    “The main goal of the team is to develop talent from the MENA region in order to find the future world and Olympic champions,” Afifi told Sport360°.

    “And in order to achieve this, we built everything around it, including the professional team.”

    The development squad will begin with two Egyptian youngsters who have competed in the Youth Olympic Games. They will be coached in Egypt, but more athletes will be recruited when the team begin their promotional activities across the region.

    “A place like the UAE for example, once we find talent there, we’ll have someone permanently based there to take care of them. They’ll have a coach that will follow up daily with them,” explained Afifi.

    “The whole idea of the pro team, is to help those kids become Olympic and world champions. These pros will mentor these kids. They are athletes who have done it before, they know what it takes in order to achieve these goals and they can pass on their own experiences to these kids.”

    The entire project is the brainchild of Afifi, who had taken up triathlon 10 years ago, before abandoning it to focus on his career in finance. But a few years ago, the London-based Egyptian lost 30kg of weight, quit his job in finance and dedicated himself to triathlon, as a coach and a participant.

    “I was doing it basically for my kids, to make sure I’m practicing what I’m preaching,” says Afifi.

    He believes the sport is becoming more and more popular in the Arab world and sees lots of potential for growth.

    “I was in Bahrain for the Challenge Bahrain race a couple of weeks ago and you can see that the Arab participation was very impressive. Not just from the Gulf, but from Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, all across the MENA region. The numbers are significantly rising,” he says.

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