Mohammed Abdullah Al Murr, President of the UAE Athletics Federation, hailed Arwa Ali’s silver medal at the Youth Olympics as a historic moment for UAE athletics.
The UAE sprinter made history on Sunday by becoming the first Emirati female medallist in the history of the Youth Olympic Games with her silver medal.
In the women’s 100m final, Arwa clocked 11.41 seconds to claim second position at the Dakar Games.
Rosemary Nwankwo won gold in the 100m final, clocking 11.16 seconds, while Dana Salem of Qatar took the bronze medal with a time of 11.48 seconds.
Arwa’s medal is also the UAE’s first in an athletics event at the Youth Olympics.
The historic silver came just three days after shuttler Riyan Malhan won the UAE’s first-ever Youth Olympics gold by winning the singles title.
While praising Arwa, Al Murr congratulated the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE’s wise leadership and the people of the UAE on the landmark achievement in Dakar.
“We are proud of this achievement, which carries double historical significance. Beyond being the UAE’s first athletics medal at the Youth Olympic Games, it marks an unprecedented presence for Emirati women in the nation’s medal record at these Games. It confirms the ability of Emirati women to compete, achieve and raise the UAE flag on the world’s podiums,” Al Murr said.
“What Arwa has achieved is no coincidence. It is the product of a sustainable strategy and consistent institutional effort focused on identifying talent, honing its abilities and developing champions. Her journey from gold at the Bahrain 2025 Asian Youth Games to silver at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games confirms the success of our approach to preparation and development, and strengthens our confidence in our ability to keep building on these results.”
Al Murr also reiterated the UAE’s commitment to continuing to invest in the empowerment of women in sports and developing a new generation of athletes who can compete at the highest level.
“The Dakar silver is not the end of our ambition but the start of a new phase of achievements we are working towards, so that the UAE flag remains present on the world’s podiums,” Al Murr said.
Meanwhile, the UAE’s cyclist Sultan Al Hammadi is excited ahead of his participation in the individual time trial on Tuesday.
“Representing the UAE at a global event of the stature of the Youth Olympic Games is a great honour and a responsibility I take pride in. I hope this experience will be an important step towards achieving my future ambitions and raising the UAE flag at the world’s biggest sporting events,” Al Hammadi said.
“During my preparation, I stayed committed to training and recovery, balancing the demands of sport and studies. My goal was to arrive in Dakar in the best possible condition.”
Source: Khaleej Times