A Games record and the first gold medal for the UAE. Mariam Kareem could not have dreamt of a better Asian Games debut.
The UAE athlete made history on Monday by clinching the gold medal with an emphatic win in the women’s 400m hurdles final in Nagoya.
Kareem had qualified for the final with a dominant run in the heat on Sunday as she clocked a personal-best time of 55.14 seconds.
In the final, the 18-year-old UAE athlete broke the Games record with a time of 54.31 to earn the top spot.
Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems clocked 54.58 to take the silver medal, and India’s Vithya Ramraj won the bronze with a time of 54.75.
This was the second medal of the ongoing Asian Games for the UAE after Sulaiman Abdulrahman won a silver medal in the men’s 400m final.
The talented runner also won the gold medal in the Asian Under-20 Championships in Hong Kong earlier this year.
Last year at the Asian Under-18 Championships in Dammam, Kareem clinched a memorable double, winning the 200m and 400m hurdles gold medals.
Kareem carried the momentum into her maiden Asian Games appearance with a flawless display of technique, control and speed in the 400m hurdles final to break the Games record and push Zems and Ramraj to second and third places respectively.
Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary General of the UAE Olympic Committee; Major General Dr Mohammed Abdullah Al Murr, Member of the Board of Directors of the UAE Olympic Committee and President of the UAE Athletics Federation; and Jamila Abdulrahman, Member of the Board of Directors of the UAE Athletics Federation, attended the final as they applauded Kareem’s incredible feat.
“We are proud of Mariam Kareem’s exceptional achievement. She not only delivered the UAE’s first gold medal of the Games, but also set a new Games record of 54.31 seconds and recorded the world’s best U20 time of 2026 — all at just 18 years of age,” Al Murr said.
“This underlines the emergence of a promising Emirati talent with all the attributes to compete at the highest level on the global stage.”
Al Murr said Kareem’s triumph is the result of the incredible support from the UAE’s visionary leaders.
“This achievement is a manifestation of the tremendous support extended to UAE sport by our wise leadership. It reflects the success of our investment in national talent and the continuous efforts to advance UAE athletics,” Al Murr said.
“Today’s achievement further strengthens our ambitions to compete for podium places at World Championships and Olympic Games.”
Archer Jumana Al Najjar of the UAE reached the round of 16 in the women’s individual compound archery event with an impressive 140-137 win over Afghanistan’s Fatima Sadat Sadr.
But she lost to South Korea’s Park Jungyun 140–148.
Sultan Al Menhali’s campaign in the men’s individual compound archery ended in the round of 32 with a 139–148 defeat to China’s Liu Jinyi.
Meanwhile, Abdullah Al Mansoori lost 141–147 to Choi Yonghee of South Korea in the same stage.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum hit 95 targets after four rounds in the trap event, while Yahya Suhail Al Muhairi scored 90.
There was disappointment for padel team players Fatima Shahdour and Maryam Al Hashemi, who lost their doubles game.
But the day belonged to teen sensation Mariam Kareem, who stormed to victory on the track with an unforgettable performance.
Kareem’s gold will now inspire the rest of the UAE contingent to raise their level and vie for medals in their respective events.
Having won 20 medals, including five gold at the 2022 Asian Games, the UAE will hope to earn more laurels in Japan.
Source: Khaleej Times