Today's Edition
DUBAI (ALETIHAD)
The hosts UAE continued to excel at the ongoing 16th Fazza Para Athletics Grand Prix – Dubai 2025, claiming two more gold besides other medals on the second day of competitions here.
Thekra Al Kaabi, bronze medallist at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games, hurled the wooden club to a distance of 20.06 metres for the gold medal in women’s club throw F32 final. She was followed by compatriot Shamma Almaazmi who managed a distance 10.36m at the recently-renovated Dubai Club for People of Determination stadium.
Emirati Yahya Al Blooshi, a trainee at the Althiqah Club for Handicapped, clinched the second gold for the hosts on the day when he clocked a timing of 11.65 seconds in the men’s 100m T45/46 final.Though his timing was far away from his personal best of 7.31 but he was happy to have improved his timing from his gold medal show at the Sharjah International Open Para Athletics Meeting 2025 held last week.
The season-opening Grand Prix in Dubai is seeing participation from more than 400 para-athletes from 52 nations and are being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The competition ends on Thursday.
The other winner for UAE was Maryam Alzeyoudi, the Kobe 2024 world champion, settled for the silver medal after her effort of 7.12m in the women’s shot put F40/44 final.
Among other top names, nine-time Paralympic champion Xiaoyan Wen raced to women’s 100m women T37/38 gold finishing in 13.38s.
Paris 2024 Paralympic champion from Belgium Maxime Carabin opened the season with a gold in men’s 400m T52/53 final racing in 53.91 seconds even as Saudi Arabia’s hero Abdulrahman Alqurashi finished on top in men’s 400m T53 race with a timing of 53.31s.
Patricia Eachus, a former European Championship bronze medallist, finished the women’s 400 m wheelchair T54 race in 57.17s.
In men’s wheelchair javelin final F34, Iran’s two-time Paralympic champion Saeid Afrooz sent warning to all his rivals in a year of World Championships, by taking the gold with an effort of 37.67m.
