Al Dossary: Strict selection norms paid off

The UAE's participation in the 12th Arab Games, which ended on Friday, was the most successful in the history of the Games, according to Abdul Mohsin Al Dossary, the chief of the UAE delegation to the Games. Speaking to Gulf News at the conclusion of the Games, Al Dossary, the Assistant Under Secretary of Sports at the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare and a member of the UAE National Olympic Committee, shed light on the country's campaign as well as their prospects in the 2012 London Olympic Games. Following are the excerpts: GULF NEWS: How do you evaluate the UAE's performance in the Games this time? MOHSIN AL DOSSARY: Four years ago, we won 25 medals (7 gold, 9 silver and as many bronze). This time even two days before the end of the Games, we already exceeded that by winning 34 medals in all — 10 gold, 9 silver and 15 bronze — despite taking part in only individual sport and in only one team discipline, ie women's volleyball. I think these figures speak for themselves. What are the factors behind this improvement in the number of medals? The improvement was due to the fact that the UAE NOC has put strict criteria and conditions for the participation and only the athletes or teams that looked like medal hopefuls or promising youngsters who proved their prospects and needed exposure with more experienced athletes were given the opportunity of coming to Doha to take part in the Games. I am pleased to confirm that all the sports associations that promised to win medals have fulfilled their promise and some of them have achieved more like in the case of athletics which brought only one bronze medal in the Cairo Games in 2007 and this time they won five medals: one gold, two silver and as many bronze. UAE women did one better in athletics with a gold, silver and bronze each compared to men, who had a silver and a bronze each. Why? First, we are happy that our women athletes have achieved many honourable results in these Games, which proves the development that occurred in women sports in recent years. The only team we allowed to take part in the Games was the women volleyball team and it won the bronze medal. We don't differentiate between men or women athletes as far as they represent our country whoever is the best gets the priority. Most medals were achieved in sports which do not find enough government financing and depend mainly on the support of its players like equestrian, shooting and bowling. How can you support them? The government support is never enough and we in the GAYSW know this. It is time that all these sports associations should find sponsors and other financial resources. What are the plans for the UAE's participation in the 2012 London Olympic Games? I believe our chances are in shooting and equestrian if they won promotion to the Olympic Games. Shooters have already proved their capability in the only Olympic medal we won when Shaikh Ahmad Bin Hasher Al Maktoum won the gold in Athens Olympics. As for the athletics, they should first achieve the qualifications needed to take part in the Olympic Games and I am not sure about the plans of the UAE Athletics Federation in the remaining time. We also have a chance in football as our team need to collect nine points to qualify. They still have three matches to go. It is sad that Aisha Al Beloushi will be stripped off the first ever weightlifting medal achieved by a UAE woman because of testing positive. How can we eradicate this menace? It is really sad because most of the Arab athletes know very little about the dangers of taking performance enhancing substances in the long run and, with modern technology, how easily the offenders can be caught. It is time that the GAYSW, the UAE NOC, the sports associations and the clubs take one unified stand against drug abuse and conduct random tests on all athletes in individual and team sports.