Thursday, March 28
08:23 PM

French Olympians to train Oman 49er squad in UAE

11 Jan 2021

Four-member national team to hold training camp ahead  of the 2021  Asian Sailing Championship 

European champions and French Olympians Yann Jauvin and Matthieu Frei will provide valuable technical inputs and coaching to the Oman 49er team during a training camp ahead in the UAE of their participation in the 2021 ASAF Asian Sailing Championship.

Oman Sail confirmed on Monday that the French duo will coach the four-member national squad during their camp in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which begins from January 12 (Tuesday).

The four-member squad comprises Oman’s Olympic hopefuls, who would need to win the 49er class at the Asian Sailing Championship in Abu Dhabi from February 14-21.

A win for either of the pairs will pave the way for Oman’s maiden qualification at the Olympic Games. The regatta in Abu Dhabi is the final qualification event for sailors in Asia to secure their place at the rescheduled Olympic Games in Tokyo later this year.

The Omani quartet comprises pairs of Musab al Hadi and Waleed al Kindi and Abdulrahman al Mashari and Ahmed al Hasni.

Rashid Al Kindi, Oman Sail’s director of sailing said, “Oman Sail’s ambitions to have its sailors qualify for 2020 Olympics have been a project over the past ten years. Although the Games got delayed, our focus remains and the training camps in UAE will help our sailors be in the best shape to compete in the Asian Sailing Championships and hopefully, the Olympic Games. We are proud to reach this far but we have one more challenge ahead of us before our dream of having Omani sailors at the Olympics becomes a reality.”

Hashim al Rashdi, Oman Sail’s 49er coach, said, “The 49er sailors are strong and talented. Oman Sail has invested a lot of resources to ensure we are ready to compete at every tournament over the past four years and achieve Olympic qualification. At the training camp in the UAE, we will receive valuable inputs and coaching lessons from experienced French coaches.”

The team is expected to train in Dubai till January 21 and then move for the second training camp in Abu Dhabi from January 22-February 13 for the final preparations before the Asian qualifying event for Tokyo Games.

Following the Tokyo Games, the sailors will return home to prepare for the 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 World Championships on the home waters of Al Mussanah Sports City in 

November 2021. Held for the first time ever in Asia, the worlds will also serve as the first stop on the journey to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

 

© 2021 Apex Press and Publishing. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Mesdac