UAE swimmers got off to a slow start at the fourth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Incheon, South Korea, failing to make a single final on day one of the swimming competition.
Olympian Mubarak Al Besher finished sixth in his 100m breaststroke heat, clocking 1:03.07, almost three seconds behind Kazakhstan’s Roman Trussov, the fastest man in the heat, while Mohamed Jasim was seventh in his heat, recording 1:04.63. Both did not make the cut.
In the 200m individual medley, Ali Subait was last in his heat, clocking 2:15.34, thirteen seconds behind the eventual bronze medallist, Korean Kyuwoong Choi.
In the 4x50m medley relay, the UAE trio were joined by team veteran Obaid Al Jasmi to finish fourth in the heat, clocking 1:47.42 behind Hong Kong, Kuwait and Macau, and ahead of Kyrgyzstan.
Al Jasmi admitted that his team-mates were not too pleased with their timings and said he himself hasn’t had much preparation time for the Games due to personal circumstances.
“I believe my team-mates weren’t happy with their results. They know they can do better,” Al Jasmi told Sport360°. “They were expected not to qualify through the heats because the competition level is quite high, but in the relay we were hoping to make the final.”
Al Jasmi will be competing in the 100m butterfly on Monday and the 100m individual medley on July 3, but the 31-year-old says he could have used some extra practice time going into the competition.
“I was in Singapore for a month with my father who was getting some medical treatment, so I only trained for two weeks before the Games,” he explained. “I didn’t expect to compete here to be honest.
“But still, it’s good practice for the GCC championships in October as well as the Swimming World Cup series next season.”
Al Besher has another shot in the 50m breaststroke today, where he will try to test himself against some stiff competition ahead of this summer’s World Championships in Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Shehab stumbled to a 0-5 loss in the 6 Red Snooker round of 32 to China’s Guodong Xiao, a former Asian Indoor Games gold medallist.
Shehab’s team-mate, Mohammed Al Joaker enjoyed a slightly more successful day, beating Hong Kong’s Chun Wai Lee and Taipei’s Yu Lun Wu before losing in the last 16 to Sundeep Gulati.
Al Joaker and Shehab, however, still have another chance to win a medal for the UAE as they both compete in regular snooker which starts on July 3.
“It was a one-sided match,” said Shehab. “We are struggling to sleep. There’s a five-hour difference with the UAE so we’re jetlagged.
“I need to sort out my game for the next match.
“The draw is not in our favour, but to win you have to face the best.”
In 9-ball action, UAE’s Mohamed Al Hosani beat Korea’s Seungwoo Ryu 9-8 to advance to the last 16 and now takes on Brunei’s Taufiq Ahmad on Monday.
Elsewhere, UAE national futsal team coach Mohamed Al Marzouqi says his squad have gained a lot from their trip to South Korea despite crashing out from the group stages.
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– Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games gets underway in Icheon
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