Qatar’s Nasser al Hamad made the nation proud when he qualified for the finals of vault and floor exercise events at the second Artistic Gymnastics World Cup meet, which kicked off at the Aspire Academy on Monday. By qualifying for the finals, the 19-year-old Nasser also emerged as the first Arab gymnast to qualify for finals in a world event this year.
Nasser claimed 14.200 points to qualify for the floor exercise final. The floor exercise final is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. In the vault qualification, Nasser again finished a credible third with 15.675 points to enter final.
Nasser had spoken about his aim to do well in this world-class competition. And, his perseverance to slog during the offseason just paid off with this performance at a world stage. Speaking to journalists after his fantastic performance, Nasser said: “I was determined to do well in the competition and that, too, in front of home crowd. They were a dedicated bunch of supporters who kept egging me whenever I entered the arena to perform my routine exercises. I hope they will be present in large numbers during the finals to boost my morale.
“I am also ready to give my best shot. I will be up against some top gymnasts but I am determined to leave my mark at the end of the day. I hope to make the most of my appeareance in the finals of these two events.”
The president of Qatar Gymnastics Federation Ali Ahmed al Hitmi looked very happy with Nasser’s performance on Monday. “Nasser’s performance is very good for the sport in the country. The sport is still in its nascent stage and I hope Nasser’s performance will egg future generation to take up this exciting game in a big way. We are heartened by Nasser’s performance and I hope Nasser will do well in finals too.”
Qatar’s other contender Mahmood al Sadi failed to qualify for the pommel horse and rings finals. Mahmood finished his pommel horse round with 12.225 points and rings with 13.00 points respectively.
In the women’s section, Qatar’s Aljazy al Habshi failed to qualify in floor exercise, uneven bars and the beambalance. Qatar’s Shaden Wahdan also featured in the non-competitive category in the women’s section.
