DOHA: Qatar’s world record holder Fares Hassona is confident of creating a new mark when he competes at the two-day 3rd Qatar International weightlifting Cup which begins today.
The Qatari lifter, who broke the world record last year in the 77kg category with 184Kg at the age of 16 years, will be the star attraction at the two-day meet that has attracted athletes from 48 countries.
“Yes, I am confident of doing well. I can break a world record,” Fares said yesterday.
“I have been training really well for the last two years,” the 17-year-old said.
“My father was a lifter. I saw him and I got interested in this sport looking at him. My two brothers also do this. This a sport in my family,” he said.
“God Willing I can break the world record,” he said.
“My long-term goal is to go reach the Olympic Games and win a medal,” he added.
Faresh will be joined by Qatari female lifter Ahlam Al Mohalhal and four other weighlifters.
Five other Qatari competitors will be seen in action in the GCC Youth & Junior Championships, which is taking place alongside the Qatar Cup.
The 23-year-old will contest the 63kg class and will be making his international debut and it will be the first time that any female weightlifter is turning out in Qatar colours at a global event.
“I have been training well and I am looking forward to competing in this event,” Ahlam said, a fitness conscious girl who took to weightlifting four months back.
“I think I have a good technique so I hope to do well,” she added.
Ahlam said her participation in an international event will pave the way for more Qatari weighlifters to take to the sport.
“Hopefully I will be able to inspire many Qatari girls to take to weightlifting and i will be more than willing to help them,” said Ahlam, who is a fitness freak and who used to practice Crossfit before joining the weightlifting training under the national coach. She is among the 18 women competitors who will compete in the two weight categories of 63kg and 75+ of the Qatar International Cup.
The other members of the hosts squad taking part in the Qatar International Cup are Ahmed Hassan Asheer, Abdullah Al Mohanadi, Khalid Al Hammadi and Hassona Hassona.
Five home competitors Fares Hassona, Shbib Al Dousari, Qassem Al Merri, Hamdan Al Merri and Hamad Al Shahrani will vie for top honours in the GCC Youth & Junior Championships.
Qatar International Cup is an annual event which is organised by Qatar Weightlifting Federation (QWF) and Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC).
Mohamed Yousef Al Mana, the Qatar and Asian Weightlifting Federation President, the Afro-Asian Weightlifting Council founder and International Weightlifting Vice President, has decided to make a special event this year by inviting more countries to participate in the Doha event ‘in order to increase the level of the competition’.
Zayed Mubarak Al Hajri, QWF Executive Director, said he hopes that Fares will create another world record as he followed him in his latest training sessions along with the international coach Ibrahim Hassouna.
Hassouna said: “All the Qatari lifters are ready to compete, get medals and hopefully get a new world record for Fares.”
He added: “When Ahlam came to our federation, we were amazed at her talent. Now we feel - with good coaching - she has improved her technique.”
The other member of the coaching staff of Qatar comprises of Team Manager Salman Al Mass; Assistant Coach Hassouna Hassouna and Physio Hussaion El Settawi.
In the last three years, Qatar International Cup enjoyed special praise from the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) and the lifters themselves, attracting athletes from around 30 countries.
“This year we have attracted lifters from 48 countries,” Al Hajri said yesterday.
“This is a huge number for our weightlifting event. We are looking at some quality competition,” he added.
Dr Tamas Ajan, IWF President, will attend the event.
Ibrahim Kafoud, Secretary General of QWF, said the winner in each of the classes will take home $3,000 while the runners-up will be richer by $2,000. The third-placed lifter will take home $1,000.
The Peninsula
