- Title: Bahraini athletes have high hopes for the Paralympics in Paris
- Date: 15th July 2024
- Summary: ISA TOWN, BAHRAIN (JULY 11, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BAHRAINI ATHLETE, ROOBA YOUSIF ALOMARI, STRAPPING HERSELF TO A SEAT FOR HER FIELD TRAINING OF DISCUS THROWING ALOMARI’S NAME TAG FROM KOBE-2024 GAMES ON HER SEAT VARIOUS OF ALOMARI DURING HER TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAHRAINI ATHLETE, ROOBA YOUSIF ALOMARI, SAYING: “Today we have discus-throwing training. Yesterday we had strength training, we lifted heavy weights. Today our training was a bit tough as my body is bit tired from yesterday’s intense training.” VARIOUS OF ALOMARI DURING HER TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAHRAINI ATHLETE, ROOBA YOUSIF ALOMARI, SAYING: “The weather is very hot, so the effort that we put in within 10 minutes feels like half an hour. God willing, we still have one month until the championship, hopefully we will be ready.” ALOMARI’S COACHES ABDULLAH AL-SHAMMARI AND HASSAN MUFTAH, MEASURING THE DISTANCES OF HER THROWS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ROOBA YOUSIF ALOMARI HEAD COACH, HASSAN MUFTAH, SAYING: “Now we have entered our second stage of our training, and now we are focusing on increasing her strength through weight lifting and speed training in discus throwing - God willing we will succeed." ISA TOWN, BAHRAIN (JULY 8, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ALOMARI ON A WHEELCHAIR AT THE GYM, A BAHRAINI FLAG WITH SENTENCE READING “NEVER GIVE UP” ON THE BACK OF WHEELCHAIR ALOMARI TRAINING AT THE GYM (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAHRAINI ATHLETE, ROOBA YOUSIF ALOMARI, SAYING: “I started training in 2013, since then I've participated in various championships and had many accomplishments - this will be my third Olympics, I participated in 2016 in Rio and in 2022 in Japan, this will be my third participation.” VARIOUS OF ALOMARI TRAINING VARIOUS OF ALOMARI TRAINING WITH MUFTAH (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAHRAINI ATHLETE, ROOBA YOUSIF ALOMARI, SAYING: “Before taking part in the Olympics, we had gone through several other phases - we participated in the Asian (Para) games and the international (Paralympics) game. I participated in Asia’s games that were in China, and I came in third place in discus throwing. In all of those championships, I achieved numbers that qualified me for (the Paralympics) in Paris. We took part in the world championship games in Japan in March, where I was among the top four, which qualified us for the Olympic games.” ALOMARI AT THE GYM LOGO OF “BAHRAIN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE” ON ALOMARI’S T-SHIRT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAHRAINI ATHLETE, ROOBA YOUSIF ALOMARI, SAYING: “I am very excited for this, this is the biggest championship in the world. Every athlete’s wish is to take part in Olympics. Thank God, as I said, this will be my third participation in the Olympics, in 2016, I came in 6th place globally.” ALOMARI AT THE GYM ISA TOWN, BAHRAIN (JULY 9, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BAHRAINI ATHLETE, HUSSAIN ABDULAZIZ ALI, WHO SUFFERS FROM CATARACTS DISEASE, A CLOUDY AREA IN THE LENS OF THE EYE THAT LEADS TO A DECREASE IN VISION OF THE EYE, RUNNING DURING TRAINING SESSION FOR 400 METER SPRINT ALI’S COACH GUIDING HIS WAY AS THEY BOTH HOLD ONTO THE SAME RUBBER BAND (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAHRAINI ATHLETE, HUSSAIN ABDULAZIZ ALI, SAYING: “In God’s will we will participate in Paralympics in Paris and succeed. We are ready for it, as we have the will, and hopefully we will achieve good results - we are optimistic.” VARIOUS OF ALI TRAINING ALI’S COACH GUIDING HIS WAY AS THEY BOTH HOLD ONTO THE SAME RUBBER BAND VARIOUS OF ALI LISTENING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS OF HIS HEAD COACH, MOOSA HASSAN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HUSSAIN ABDULAZIZ ALI’S HEAD COACH, MOOSA HASSAN, SAYING: “When he first started, he wasn’t ready, because of the disease he has in his eyes. He joined late and wasn’t fit enough to perform in the 400 meter sprint like he his now. However, thanks to his perseverance, which I was really impressed with - he always keeps on trying to be better in the fastest way possible. He is always on top of the trainings we give him, he even does them at home, knowing that he is visually-impaired, and I hope that those suffering from disabilities take him as an example.” VARIOUS OF ALI AND HIS COACH, HASSAN DURING TRAINING ALI HOLDING HIS RUBBER BAND THAT OTHERS USE TO HELP GUIDE HIS WAY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAHRAINI ATHLETE, HUSSAIN ABDULAZIZ ALI, SAYING: “We train five days a week, Friday and Saturday are rest days, the other days we train at the gym, on the track, and do stretching exercises.” ISA TOWN, BAHRAIN (JULY 8, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ALI STRETCHING AT THE GYM (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAHRAINI ATHLETE, HUSSAIN ABDULAZIZ ALI, SAYING: “Almost two or three years ago, I registered in the Bahrain Paralympic Committee, kept on training, and have taken part in many championships and with every championship, my level was improving, and now I have reached the Paralympics.” VARIOUS OF HASSAN HOLDING ALI’S HAND AS HE GUIDES HIM DURING HIS WORKOUT AT THE GYM ALI TRAINING AT THE GYM (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAHRAINI ATHLETE, HUSSAIN ABDULAZIZ ALI, SAYING: “My family were my first supporters, they push and support me, even when I travel, they check up on me if I reached safely, if I won or did not - even if I did not win anything, they keep on encouraging me.” ALI STRETCHING
- Embargoed: 29th July 2024 11:53
- Keywords: 2024 Bahrain Manama Olympics Paralympics
- Location: ISA TOWN, BAHRAIN
- City: ISA TOWN, BAHRAIN
- Country: Bahrain
- Topics: Middle East,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001893315072024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Bahraini athlete, Rooba Alomari, has the words 'Never Give Up' emblazoned on the back of her wheelchair.
The 33-year-old lives by these words as she trains to compete in discus throw during the upcoming Paralympics in Paris.
Alomari, who was born with Locomotor disability, has never let her challenges get in her way.
Since starting her athletic career in 2013, she has taken part in several championships and two different Paralympics, achieving 6th place at 2016's Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
But she has her eyes set on gold for this year's competition.
“I am very excited for this, this is the biggest championship in the world. Every athlete’s wish is to take part in Olympics," said Alomari.
Fellow countrymen, Hussein Ali, can also often be found on the track or in the gym.
29-year-old Ali, who contracted cataracts disease in 2018 years leaving him visually impaired - chose to re-channel his energy into sports.
While out of shape at first, Ali's coach says that through focus and determination, he was able to qualify to compete in the 400m sprint in this year's Paralympics.
“He is always on top of the trainings we give him, he even does them at home, knowing that he is visually-impaired, and I hope that those suffering from disabilities take him as an example," said Moosa Hassan, Ali's head coach.
The Paris 2024 Olympics will run from July 26-Aug. 11, while the Paris 2024 Paralympics will be held from Aug. 28-Sept. 8.
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