Qatar's top rider Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani - who will lead the home charge at next month's CHI Al Shaqab, says the national equestrian squad is eyeing the 2020 Olympic Games which will be held in Tokyo.
Last August, Ali was a member of the Qatar squad that featured in the Rio Games show jumping competition, finishing sixth on the final standings.
"When we qualified for the World Cup in the US, it was a great moment of pride for us, a moment to celebrate but as a rider and a member of the Qatar equestrian national squad, we are already looking ahead," Sheikh Ali said yesterday.
"We have events like the World Cup and the (FEI) Nations Cup but for all of us, we are looking at qualifying for the next Olympic Games in Tokyo," he added at a pre-event news conference at Al Shaqab Arena.
"Our joy of celebration at any event lasts for one night. The following day we look at our next target and that is the qualification for the 2020 Olympic Games. We get congratulated by our family members, by our team management and by people around the region, but we are looking at the next Olympic Games," Sheikh Ali added.
Sheikh Ali joined team-mates Bassem Hassan Mohammed, Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi and Faleh Suwead Al Ajami at their maiden appearance in the Brazilian capital last August.
The star Qatari rider, distinctively recognizable for his thin and tall frame, said he has a busy schedule to keep the coming few weeks and months.
"We have prepared for the next three events on our schedule. We have outlined the horses that will be taken to events. I have decided on my ride," Sheikh Ali, the de-facto team anchor at the Rio Olympics last year, said.
"We normally don't overtax our rides. We keep them relaxed as far as possible," Sheikh Ali said. "But as a rider, I am passionate about doing well and I always try to win.
"The event in Doha will keep us moving forward in terms of preparation for the World Cup legs and the Nations Cup. We have a busy schedule the coming few weeks," Sheikh Ali added.
Sheikh Ali, who is trained by renown equestrian Jan Tops, said Qatar's equestrian landscape had witnessed a sea-change in the last few years. From March 2-4, Qatar will host the 5th edition of the CHI Al Shaqab, the only five-star event held in Asia and the Middle East.
"I would like to thank the stakeholders who back the sport of equestrian. Overall, Qatar benefits hugely from this kind of an event," Sheikh Ali said.
"We are now into its fifth year. This is a very strong competition. There are so many people wanting to learn this sport. You should see the young kids who turn to take lessons. When they turn up at Al Shaqab, they get to learn by participating and by watching the top riders in action.
"We travel to Europe and the US for top-flight events. Now we have the same class event right on our soil," he remarked.
Sheikh Ali said he was thrilled to see Qatar fans get behind the national team riders and the sport in general.
"The sport has grown really fast in Qatar. So many young riders are coming up," he said.
