Doha (QAT), March 07, 2017: Pommel horse specialist Ahmed Al Dayani will be keenly followed by the local fans at the 10th Artistic FIG Apparatus World Cup in Doha after he finished seventh in 2016.

The Qatari accumulated 14.600 points to qualify from a star-studded line-up, with Armenian Harutym Merdinyan winning the title with 15.675 points followed by Croatia’s Robert Seligman (15.300) and Azerbaijan’s Oleg Stepko (15.000).

The 23-year-old, who tallied 13.475 in the final, can do much better than his seventh-place finish if he gets better international exposure, but it was an excellent effort considering the fact he had competed against the best in the trade.

Though it will be a little difficult to win a medal in the presence of European and world champions, he can at least improve his standings.

If he keeps his razor-sharp focus in control, Al Dayani can achieve his target.

“There’re several memorable moments in my career, but qualifying for the pommel horse finals last year was my best,” said the former ASPIRE Academy student, who is rated as the best artistic Qatari gymnast.

But Al Dayani, who bagged six gold medals and a bronze at the 12th GCC Championships in Doha last September, said, “I want to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Games.”

“The FIG competition is a place from where we can learn a lot from the top stars. I’ve gained lot of experience from participating in this event,” added Al Dayani.

When asked about his favourite gymnast, he said, “I started following Japan’s Hiroyuki Tomita after I had watched him at the 2004 Athens Olympics.”