Today's Edition
MUDHI ALOBTHANI (ALETIHAD)
A love for cycling coupled with discipline, patience and perseverance served as the pedal power that propelled Emirati para cyclist Abdullah Salem Al Baloushi’s rise to international recognition.
Al Baloushi has achieved a historic milestone after winning gold in the scratch race at the Brazil International Para Cycling Cup, securing the UAE’s first gold medal in a Class 1 event under the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
Al Baloushi, who represents the UAE para cycling team and Dubai Club for People of Determination and competes in the C4 category, began cycling in 2005 with Al Ahli Club.
“I started like any athlete with passion and ambition, and at the time I could not have imagined the journey I would experience with this sport or the challenges and achievements it would bring me,” he said.
His career took a dramatic turn in 2012 when he suffered an accident during a training session in Kalba, resulting in the loss of his right hand. After three months of treatment in Dubai, he travelled to Germany for further treatment and surgery, which was unsuccessful.
“At that stage, I could have walked away from sport completely, but one thing inside me had not changed – my love for cycling and my desire to return to it,” he said.
A Long Journey
Encouraged by Emirati cycling champion Mohammed Al Marawi, Al Baloushi gradually returned to cycling and began competing in community races before progressing to international competition.
His first international medal came in 2018, when he won bronze at the Asian Championships.
“That was when I truly realised that nothing is impossible,” he said.
The gold in Brazil, he added, represents years of persistence.
“This medal means a lot to me because it is not just another gold medal in my career. For me, it represents a long journey that began years ago and passed through many stages and challenges,” he said.
The victory came after several attempts across two editions of the Brazil competition. Al Baloushi previously secured multiple podium finishes before finally achieving his goal in the scratch race.
“The moment of victory was different for me because it was not a gold medal that came from the first attempt. It was the result of repeated attempts, persistence, refusing to give up and learning from every race that came before it,” he said.
“When I realised I had won, I felt a joy and pride that are difficult to describe, especially when I learned that this gold had become the UAE’s first gold medal at this level of UCI competition.”
Al Baloushi said there is no single secret behind his success.
“For me, there is no short secret to success. There is consistency, discipline, patience and belief in the goal,” he said.
His 2026 season has been particularly successful, including gold medals at the West Asian Championships in Oman, the Asian Road Championships in Saudi Arabia and the Asian Track Championships in the Philippines.
He also finished fifth in the road race at the World Cup in Thailand and has collected seven medals across two editions of the Brazil International Cup.
A Demanding Routine
Balancing elite sport with work requires a demanding routine, particularly during the UAE summer.
“I make sure to wake up very early so I can train on the bike at the best possible time before the heat intensifies. After training, I go directly to work, and after work my sporting day continues,” he said.
For Al Baloushi, competing internationally is also about representing his country.
“When I wear the UAE emblem and stand at the starting line, I feel that I am not representing Abdullah alone, but my country,” he said.
“The medal may carry the athlete’s name, but the achievement ultimately carries the name of the UAE.”
He credited his family, coach, technical team and support staff for helping him reach this stage.
“No athlete can reach this stage alone,” he said. “Every achievement I accomplish, I consider it an achievement for every person who stood by me and believed in my ability.”
Now ranked third in the world in track cycling, Al Baloushi has set his sights even higher.
“My biggest goal in the next stage is clear: to win the gold medal at the Asian Games and raise the UAE flag on the highest podium,” he said.
“I believe that reaching third in the world ranking was not the end of the road, but proof that I am heading in the right direction – and that I still have much more to give”.
