Khalaf wins first gold for UAE

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  • Khalaf lifts UAE to first gold

    UAE’s Mohammed Khamis Khalaf sank home hopes in Rio de Janeiro to claim Paralympic gold in the -88kg powerlifting event, edging out Brazilian Evanio Da Silva.

    After claiming his second Paralympic gold medal and third overall of his storied career, UAE’s Mohammed Khamis Khalaf is already looking ahead to Tokyo 2020 as he insists he still has more to offer.

    Competing in his fifth Paralympic Games, Khalaf entered the competition carrying a serious left shoulder injury that required surgery. But he and his Moroccan coach Titou Kacem decided to postpone the operation until after the Rio Games and that decision paid dividends.

    Khalaf lifted 220kg in Rio, with home favourite Da Silva coming second with 210, and Mongolian Sodnompiljee Enkhbayar taking bronze, also with 210.

    “It’s an indescribable, you can’t imagine how happy I am,” an elated Khalaf told Sport360.

    “This is my fifth Paralympics but this one was very different than any of the other ones I competed in. I suffered a lot during my preparation because of all the injuries but I worked hard and thank God I got the gold.

    “Insha’Allah, I hope to be in Tokyo in four years’ time.

    “Postponing surgery of course was risky but my coach Titou adjusted my training so I would do more damage to the shoulder. I was nervous going into the competition but thankfully it all went well.”

    The 46-year-old powerlifter placed fourth on his Paralympics debut in Sydney 2000, won the UAE’s first gold at the Games in Athens 2004 and took silver while nursing an elbow injury in Beijing four years later.

    A shoulder issue ended his campaign in London five minutes before the start of the competition, but he returned back to the top of the Paralympic podium in Brazil yesterday, to claim a third medal of the week for the UAE, to go with the two silvers won by Abdullah Sultan Al Aryani in shooting.

    “I never thought I would do all this,” Khalaf says of his tremendous achievements in the sport. “I knew I wanted to compete but I never thought I’d win two Paralympic gold medals and one silver.”

    Kacem, who has been Khalaf’s coach since 1993, described this feat as a special one.

    “This is a medal that is dear to our hearts, it was really hard-earned,” said Kacem. “Preparing with his injury, we worked so hard and finally we managed to relive our memories from Athens 2004 and we wrote a new chapter to Mohammed’s history in the sport.”

    Kacem believes Khalaf’s accomplishments will have a great impact on disability sport in the UAE and the Arab world.

    “This can drive more support towards disability sport in the region,” the coach added. “Also sponsors will be more willing to back Paralympians because they can see that their investment is paying off and that athletes like Mohammed are returning home with gold.”

    Asked if a sixth Paralympics appearance at Tokyo 2020 was already on their minds, Kacem replied: “Yes insha’Allah. He has the capability to do more.”

    Meanwhile, Emirati wheelchair racer Mohamed Al Hammadi, smashed the Paralympics record in the 800m T34 heats on Tuesday, clocking 1:44.96 to qualify for Wednesday’s final.

    Al Hammadi, who won T34 100m bronze and 200m silver at the London Paralympics four years ago, had missed out on the 100m podium, placing fourth in the final on Monday.

    But he redeemed himself with a record-smashing 800m heat on Tuesday, going 1.32 seconds faster than his long-time rival Walid Ktila of Tunisia, who had set a Paralympic record of 1:46.28 earlier in the first heat of the event.

    The pair will go head-to-head in Wednesday’s final with revenge on Hammadi’s mind, considering Ktila took gold in the 100m on Monday.

    In the women’s javelin throw F46 final, UAE’s Maryam Al Matroushi finished last in a field of eight athletes, with a throw of 26.94m.

    Great Britain’s Hollie Arnold snatched the gold with a world record distance of 43.01m.

    In the women’s powerlifting -86kg event, Games debutante Haifa Al Naqbi lifted 80kg to place sixth in the competition, that saw Egypt’s Randa Mahmoud smash the Paralympic record with a lift of 130kg.

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