Adil Al Balushi -
MUSCAT, March 28 -
Ace Omani long-distance runner Mohammed al Suliemani, is gearing up for the Summer Youth Olympics 2018 to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 6 to 18.
The 17-year-old, is training hard, hoping to win a medal for Oman in the Youth Olympics.
The youngster had won a bronze medal in the Asian Youth Athletics Championship in Bankbook in May last year, after he completed 2,000 metres steeplechase with an Omani record of 5:58:89.
Al Suliemani is a graduated candidate from Youth Training Centre programme run by Ministry of Sports Affairs.
In preparation for the Youth Olympics, he has a comprehensive training plan that include participation in many GCC, Arab and Asian tournaments beside to the internal and external camps.
Al Eid Totash, head coach of athletics of the programme, said: Mohammed al Suleimani is one of our stars whom we depend on to achieve some medals for Oman in the coming participations. We already started our training and preparations for our main participation for the Youth Olympics 2018 in Argentina.”
“Mohammed will participate in coming GCC Athletics Championship which will be held in Kuwait from April 5-7. Later he will take part in Arabian athletics competitions end of April. We hope from the both GCC and Arab Championship that Mohammed would find the qualification mark for 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships in Finland in coming June,” he added.
The bronze medal in Asian Youth Athletics Championship in May last year, and the timing in the 2000m steeplechase, had earned him a direct spot to the World Junior Athletics Championships in Nairobi in July last year.
Mohammed ended up 10th in his first participation in 2000 m in the World Junior Championships.
Coach Totash said: “We hope our participation in Summer Youth Olympics next October to be distinctive with strong performances and results by the Omani athletes.”
“We will travel to Buenos Aires with sufficient time to have an external camp and adapting to the weather in the Argentine capital,” Totash concluded.
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