With a personal haul of three silver medals and one bronze, the recently concluded IPC Athletics World Championships at Doha was a huge success for the UAE’s Mohammed Al Hammadi.
But he is still hungry for more.
The wheelchair sprint champion’s performances are peaking ahead of next year’s Rio Olympics.
“The level of events was very high as its almost less than one year to Rio 2016 Paralympic Games,” he said. “For me it was one of the very important aims in my career. I tested my readiness and the efficiency of my preparation to Rio 2016. Most of the athletes competing in my class [T34] will be present in the next Paralympic Games.”
Al Hammadi’s success at Doha came on the back of four medals – gold in the 100 metres, silver in 400m and 800m and bronze in 200m – at the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports (IWAS) World Games 2015 in Russia in September and October.
“In Sochi it was different. The competition was a very good preparation for Doha,” said Al Hammadi, a member of Al Thiqa Club at Sharjah. “It was a good level, but less than that at Doha.”
Wheelchair and disabled sports in the UAE have gained attention over the past few years, in large thanks to the efforts of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, to bring them into the mainstream.
“Yes, it’s better than before, but still less than expected,” said Al Hammadi, who lost both legs to polio as a child.
“We know that there are disabled people who aren’t involved in clubs and their activities, especially those who were injured and become disabled after car accidents.
“I would like to call and invite them to participate in sports and clubs activities, and become productive people in the society. Life doesn’t end for them after what they suffered from.”
Al Hammadi, 30, said that the stigma of disability needs to be banished.
“Certainly the support is requested to do more for the disabled people from different parts of the society,” he said. “There should be an awareness in society that disability is not a sickness, and disabled people can accomplish a lot for the development of UAE in different fields.
“The UAE Rulers do a lot of things to make disabled people’s life much easier. It’s my hope that my different successes will contribute to getting disabled people out of their homes and inspiring them to participate in sports activities and do better than me.
“I hope that I can contribute in the future for their success in life and sports.”
Al Hammadi rates his performances at the 2012 Paralympics in London as the biggest achievement of his career, when he returned home with a silver in the men’s 200m race and bronze in the 100m sprint.
“It was the first time in my life I competed in a huge stadium and was watched by about 80,000 spectators,” he said. “It was an exciting experience in my career. ” Al Hammadi is hoping for more medals in Rio.
“I have planned with my coach Obaid Alzaabi to get ready for the Games,” he said.
“We will compete only in two events selected by the International Paralympic committee, which are 100m and 800m.
“For me it’s a simple question: I will compete in only two events which means only two chances of medals.
“For the UAE team I cannot predict what the chances for athletes in different sports are but my hope is that we will win more medals than at London 2012.”
akhaled@thenational.ae
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
