RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is banking on its strong athletics squad to bring home a clutch of medals from the 16th Asian Games that get under way in China this month. But surprisingly, the Kingdom is again not sending a football team for a competition it would have had a good chance of winning, albeit up against the likes of Japan, Iran, China, South Korea and North Korea. The Asian Cup football tournament starts in Qatar in January and it is thought the squad is being saved in a bid to go one better than losing in the final to Iraq four years ago. In the last Asian Games in Qatar four years ago, Saudi Arabia ranked 13th, with 14 medals, eight gold and six bronze, two places down on their showing in the 2002 Busan Games (seven golds, one silver and one bronze). In Doha, it was in track and field that the Saudi squad continued its Busan form, snagging five golds and two bronze medals. The golds came from Yahya Habeeb (100m), Hamdan Al-Bishi (400m), Sultan Al-Hebshi (shot), Hussain Al-Sabee (long jump) and the men's 4x400m relay, with bronzes going to Sultan Al-Dawoodi (discus) and Ahmed Faiz Bin Marzouq (long jump). Al-Sabee, Asia's No. 1 long jumper with a personal best of 8.35 meters, is hunting an unprecedented hat trick of golds in his event, but has jumped a best of only 7.94m this season. “The pressure will be on me to live up to my number one tag in Guangzhou,” the 30-year-old said. “However, I hope to become the first athlete to win the long jump gold medal in three consecutive Games.” In other sports, Saudi Arabia faces the Philippines in a knockout match in the first round of the basketball. Saudi Arabia is also making solid progress in weightlifting and swimming, and is expected to push for podium places in equestrian endurance and dressage events. The Asian Games, however, will act as a crucial stepping stone towards the 2012 London Olympic Games. The Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee last year announced its ‘Saudi Olympic Falcon Program' with the aim of forging a strategy to ensure medal success in London. The committee named TSE Consulting, headed by Steve Roush - the former chief of sports performance at the US Olympic Committee, is the body handling pre-Games training programs. “Preparations for London 2012 have already started, but the emphasis will be placed on ensuring that Saudi Arabia's sporting representatives are well-prepared and focused for qualifying events and major sporting meetings such as the 16th Asian Games Guangzhou 2010,” it said. – Agence France
