UAE national sailing team win gold at third Gulf Beach Games in Muscat

The UAE have raised their medal tally to two gold medals at the third edition of the Gulf Beach Games being underway in Oman with the participation of 330 male and female athletes.

The national sailing team claimed the gold medal in the optimist team event, extending the country’s success on the second day of the competition, following the opening-day gold secured by Abdullah Nasser Al Hammadi in paragliding.

Oman won silver after finishing second, while Kuwait took bronze. Representing the UAE in this event were Khalifa Al Rumaithi, Zayed Omar Al Hosani, Thiyab Al Muhairi, Hamad Al Muhairi, and Madiyah Khalid Al Niyadi.

Mohammed Abdullah Al Obaidli, Secretary-General of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation, congratulated Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee, and Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation, on the impressive start delivered by the UAE’s young sailing representatives in the Optimist team event at the Gulf Beach Games.

Obaidli, who is accompanying the UAE delegation in Muscat, extended his congratulations to the team’s athletes for this achievement, which reflects the dedicated efforts of the federation, in collaboration with sports clubs, to foster the development of promising young talents in marine sports.

He added that the team, crowned with gold in the Optimist team event, includes Arab champion Rumaithi—winner of gold at the 2023 Arab Games in Algeria, double gold medallist at the 2024 Arab Championship in Kuwait, and a gold and silver winner at the 2024 GCC Youth Games held in the UAE.

Hosani, who won silver in the youth team event at the GCC Youth Games, along with Thiyab and Hamad—the youngest athletes in the team—as well as emerging talent Madiyah, who previously secured two bronze medals at the 2023 Arab Games and both a gold and silver at the GCC Youth Games 2024.

Obaidli expressed optimism for further success from the athletes, many of who topped the Arab Team and Arab Girls Championships last year.

He highlighted strong potential in the upcoming sailing categories: ILCA 7, ILCA 6, ILCA 4, and Optimist, noting the wealth of experience and accomplishments within the squad. The team includes Adel Khalid, Sultan Khalid Mohammed Al Owais, Othman Abdul Karim Al Hammadi, Mohammed Abdul Karim Al Hammadi, Mohammed Khalid Al Owais, and Mohammed Marwan Al Marzouqi, as well as female sailors Dhohaa Al Beshr, Kamilia Al Qubaisi, Marwa Al Hammadi, and Alyazia Al Hammadi.

He extended his sincere thanks to the Ministry of Sports and the UAE National Olympic Committee for their continued support of the national teams, which made this participation possible through well-organised preparations and training via international camps and competitions held this year in Hong Kong, Qatar, and Malaysia in the lead-up to the 3rd Gulf Beach Games.

Mohammed Bin Nakhira Al Dhaheri, UAE Ambassador to Oman, received the official UAE sports delegation participating in the games. The delegation included Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary-General of the UAE National Olympic Committee; Ghanem Mubarak Rashid Al Hajri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports; Sheikh Suhail Bin Butti Al Maktoum, Executive Director of the Sports Development Sector at the Ministry of Sports; Nasser Al Niyadi, President of the Emirates Aerosports Federation; Mohammed bin Darwish, Executive Director of the UAE NOC; and Mohammed Al Obaidli, Secretary-General of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation.

The athletics and tent pegging teams have arrived in Muscat to compete in the games. The athletics team will compete in the long jump, triple jump, high jump, 1,600m race, and the 4×60m relay. They will begin their campaign on Tuesday with the long jump and high jump events.

Team members include Muadh Fawzi, Naseeb Salmeen, Mohammed Hassan Al Noubi, Salem Ali Abdullah, Salem Hassan Al Baloushi, Saud Jumaa Al Zaabi, Mohammed Al Hammadi, Fatima Al Baloushi, Mahra Angelya, Alia Al Hammadi, Abeer Al Baloushi, Fatima Al Shamsi, Ruqayya Al Marzouqi, Fatima Khalil, and Jawaher Fareed.