Timeframe: Sheikh Ahmed bin Hasher's hero's welcome after historic Olympic gold
His return to Dubai was met with a hero's welcome. Entering through the VIP section of Dubai Airport, he was greeted by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, who was then the Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence. Throngs of fans also turned out to celebrate his historic feat, while messages of congratulations poured in from leaders, sports bodies and supporters across the country and beyond.
'Sheikh Ahmed's success was due to his hard work and determination to bring an Olympic medal to the nation,' said Mohammed Al Khaja, a member of the UAE National Olympic Committee.
In 2012, just months before the London Games, a heart condition forced Sheikh Ahmed into retirement. 'The thing that hurt the most is that I stopped just a few months shy of the Olympics,' he told The National at the time.
'If it was my decision to stop, it would not be a big deal, but I am forced. To win a gold medal is both good and bad. Good is you have won a gold. Bad is you won't be so interested in the sport. When I won the Olympics and the world championship, I had everything. There's nothing to work for.'
After retiring, Sheikh Ahmed turned to coaching – not to mentor an Emirati successor, as many expected – but to guide a farmer's son from England to Olympic glory.
Under his mentorship, Peter Wilson won gold for Great Britain in a tense double trap final at the 2012 Olympics, a finish that tested the nerves of his coach, who had stepped away from competition partly because such moments were too stressful for his health.
Wilson, then the world record holder, called his Dubai-based mentor 'the greatest double trap shot of all time'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
an hour ago
- Zawya
CARACAL returns as the Weaponry Sponsor for the largest edition of ADIHEX
Abu Dhabi: The 22nd edition of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX), held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, has announced CARACAL as a Weaponry Sponsor. CARACAL, a regional leader in high-performance small arms design and production and an EDGE entity within the Missiles & Weapons cluster, will play a key role in this year's event. Organised by ADNEC Group, a Modon Holding company and the Emirates Falconers' Club, this year's ADIHEX is set to be the largest and most extensive in its long and distinguished history. The event will provide a premier international platform for hunting, falconry, equestrian and outdoor enthusiasts to discover and showcase the latest products and services, with CARACAL leading the Hunting & Shooting Sports Guns & Equipment Sector. Hamad Al-Ameri, CEO of CARACAL, said: 'This year marks CARACAL's 18th participation, and we are set to showcase the latest technology in precision pistols and rifles. Every ADIHEX offers us a unique opportunity to further the UAE's growing sports shooting and hunting communities through displaying our line of high-performance firearms, proudly designed and produced in the UAE. We look forward to building on our regional partnerships and establishing new collaborations at the Middle East's premier hunting event.' Saad Al Hasani, Event Director at ADIHEX, said: 'CARACAL has played an integral part in ADIHEX success over its many years of participation. Their commitment to innovation and excellence aligns perfectly with ADIHEX's mission to celebrate tradition while embracing the latest advancements in the industry.' The Hunting, Shooting Sports Guns & Equipment sector at ADIHEX offers a glimpse into the art and science behind firearms manufacturing. Visitors can explore a wide array of products, including pistols, commercial rifles, scopes and customised hunting accessories, presented by top-tier exhibitors who reflect the latest global trends in the industry. Aligned with the ADIHEX theme, 'The Legacy Lives On,' CARACAL is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of Emirati firearm designers and producers, empowering them to showcase the latest innovations and achieve their career aspirations. As a celebration of the UAE's rich culture and heritage, ADIHEX serves as an ideal platform to showcase the creativity and craftsmanship of local talent, highlighting the nation's ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation in the industry. As ADIHEX continues to contribute to the UAE's evolving outdoor culture, it remains an essential platform for advancing the nation's hunting and shooting sports industry. Through partnerships with industry leaders like CARACAL, ADIHEX is setting its sights on the future where the UAE is recognised as a global leader in the fields of hunting, sports, and outdoor adventure. Visit the ADIHEX website to explore various ticket packages to this unmissable event! About CARACAL Established in 2007, CARACAL is a regional leader in high-performance small arms. The company designs, manufactures, tests, and maintains small mission-proven firearms, including combat pistols, modern submachine guns, tactical assault rifles, and precision sniper rifles for law enforcement, security, and military forces. CARACAL's production legacy of 15+ years is reflected in the quality, performance, and dependability of its growing range of weapons, incorporating the latest technological advances, developed to address the evolving challenges of modern warfare as well as the diverse mission requirements of customers in the UAE and abroad. CARACAL is part of the Missiles & Weapons cluster of EDGE Group, one of the world's leading advanced technology and defence groups. For more information, please visit
The National
a day ago
- The National
Timeframe: Sheikh Ahmed bin Hasher's hero's welcome after historic Olympic gold
Twenty-one years ago this month, Sheikh Ahmed bin Hasher made UAE sports history by winning the nation's first Olympic gold medal. The sharpshooter claimed the top spot in the men's double trap event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. His return to Dubai was met with a hero's welcome. Entering through the VIP section of Dubai Airport, he was greeted by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, who was then the Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence. Throngs of fans also turned out to celebrate his historic feat, while messages of congratulations poured in from leaders, sports bodies and supporters across the country and beyond. 'Sheikh Ahmed's success was due to his hard work and determination to bring an Olympic medal to the nation,' said Mohammed Al Khaja, a member of the UAE National Olympic Committee. In 2012, just months before the London Games, a heart condition forced Sheikh Ahmed into retirement. 'The thing that hurt the most is that I stopped just a few months shy of the Olympics,' he told The National at the time. 'If it was my decision to stop, it would not be a big deal, but I am forced. To win a gold medal is both good and bad. Good is you have won a gold. Bad is you won't be so interested in the sport. When I won the Olympics and the world championship, I had everything. There's nothing to work for.' After retiring, Sheikh Ahmed turned to coaching – not to mentor an Emirati successor, as many expected – but to guide a farmer's son from England to Olympic glory. Under his mentorship, Peter Wilson won gold for Great Britain in a tense double trap final at the 2012 Olympics, a finish that tested the nerves of his coach, who had stepped away from competition partly because such moments were too stressful for his health. Wilson, then the world record holder, called his Dubai-based mentor 'the greatest double trap shot of all time'.
The National
a day ago
- The National
After a decade under lights, Amna Al Qubaisi steers her career in a new direction
Emirati racing driver Amna Al Qubaisi didn't realise the impact of her story until she saw it through the eyes of others. From the day she first took the driver's seat at 14, her dream was to finish what her father, Khaled Al Qubaisi – the first Emirati to reach a podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France – had started. She wanted to win, to hear the UAE's national anthem play where it had never been heard before. 'I was always just trying to represent my country in a really good manner,' she tells The National. 'I was focused only on results. I wanted to prove to the world that we were not there just to participate – but to win.' In those early days, as she began turning heads on the track, she was unaware of the effect she was having. 'When I was 14, my dad was very strict with my social media. He took full control – I barely even had a phone. And I'm glad he did, because of him I thought everything was normal.' It wasn't until years later, when she began running her own accounts, that she realised she had both changed perceptions of what a racing driver could look like – and of what an Emirati woman could be. 'A lot of girls were messaging me,' she says. 'One thing that really caught my eye was when they told me their bond with their father became much better because they saw my dad supporting me. 'They told me, 'Our father is now supporting us because we showed them: look, her dad's supporting her in motorsports, he's always there for her.' Now they're getting the same reciprocation from their dads.' Starring in Netflix's F1: The Academy Since then, Al Qubaisi has grown increasingly aware of the effect that her story can have. In May, along with her younger sister Hamda, she was one of the central stars of the Netflix docuseries F1: The Academy, which chronicled her final season racing for Red Bull in the all-female F1 Academy championship. 'We were really happy that we were a part of it,' says Al Qubaisi. 'We got to share our personality, our side of our story, and how seriously we and our dad take this.' At the same time, she was disappointed that her family was portrayed, from her point of view, as the wealthy upstarts compared to the seemingly more humble European drivers – even though virtually everyone gets there as the result of massive financial investment into their talent. Al Qubaisi explains: 'When we say we're Emirati, automatically, people think we have a mansion made of gold and an endless fleet of cars. But racing is very expensive and those costs apply to all racing drivers. Anyone who's joining in motorsport has the money. 'The way they made the other drivers look like they were selling stuff to be able to race is completely inaccurate. It's kind of sad that they singled us out and made it look like we were the only ones who had it easy.' She believes, whether on screen or off, that the deck was stacked against her through the second year of her F1 Academy experience – in which she dropped to 15th in the standings a year after she had placed sixth overall, collecting two wins in her first season. 'The first year was less political, as it was the first championship to be held. My sister and I finished very strong. In the second year, it felt like they didn't want a Middle Eastern person to win. I got an engine that was around seven to 10 kilometres slower down the straights and I couldn't do much about it. I talked to Red Bull about it, and they told me, 'just deal with it'.' When she realised winning was near-impossible, she started paying more attention to the Netflix cameras following their every move – and grew more involved in how her story was being told. 'In the first few rounds, I would tell them, 'I don't want to do anything. I'm too focused. But then I thought I might as well just take advantage of it and try to give myself some exposure for future sponsors. I said, 'I've got nothing to lose', and I gave them full access.' That strategy, which made her one of the show's most visible stars, proved emotionally challenging as her struggles mounted. 'We were still there to win,' she explains. 'So having them film me at my most vulnerable, and at my worst, was hard. I didn't want the world to know. It was a big fear of mine. But now that it's out there, I think people can relate. 'And if there's criticism against my driving ability, I don't mind. My sister takes it more personally than I do. I have a fan account that I created that I will use to start roasting them back,' Al Qubaisi laughs. Why she moved to endurance racing In the wake of her F1 Academy experience, Al Qubaisi, who had previously raced in Formula 4, has decided to give up on her Formula One dreams. Instead, she's charting a new course in endurance racing that has allowed her to rediscover what she loved about racing in the first place. Moreso than in Formula racing, endurance racing tests the durability of equipment and participants. Teams of multiple drivers using the same car in shifts attempt to cover a large distance in a single event. 'When it comes to Formula racing, it's too expensive. Because of our budget, we were constantly behind the pack. 'So this year, we decided to move into endurance racing, where it's much cheaper and the costs are split between drivers. When I moved into endurance racing, it was the first time I felt like I was actually enjoying driving in a long time.' In some ways, her path to endurance racing mirrors the fictional journey of Brad Pitt's Sonny Hayes in F1 The Movie, in which Hayes finds himself constantly at the back of the pack and has to figure out a way to turn that to his advantage. 'In F1 Academy, I was always starting from the back and I took that as practice for overtaking,' Al Qubaisi explains. 'I learnt to get through traffic and find a gap. Now, in endurance, I'm always catching up to the guys up front, because I know how it's done. 'In endurance racing, you have to really plan – you have tyre management, fuel consumption and overtaking through traffic – because you're racing with different categories. 'It's so much more enjoyable. In single seaters, you're just praying and hoping for something to happen. But in endurance racing, anything can happen. Someone can be leading a race and then have a problem and you have a whole hour to strategise.' Al Qubaisi and her sister will continue their new path towards endurance racing on August 22 and 23 the Spa – Francorchamps Heat as part of the 2025 Ligier European Series. The series marks the third tier on the endurance racing ladder of Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), the company behind the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. 'Sharing a car, we work together and help each other. We go through data together and strategise together. Having each other makes this decision easier, as we're both really good and we know each other, so we have an advantage.' What is the future of women in F1? Back in Formula racing, Al Qubaisi is rooting for the many young women working towards a spot in F1 but believes the sport as not a level playing field. 'It's very difficult to have a female in Formula One, no matter how good she is, no matter how big her achievements are. The Formula One teams need to have really big trust in those female drivers. 'They will need to invest in women drivers from a young age. I think they just need to start trusting women more to be able to reach that point too. 'Because now, all the girls who are working so hard in single seaters, who've made it to the top 10, who won races, nothing is done for them. No opportunity is provided and then they end up on the sidelines as a development driver or reserve driver, which isn't enough. If it was a male competitor, he would immediately have support, a test drive in a Formula One car.' Basic engineering was also an issue. Al Qubaisi faced difficulty with singer-seater cars that were built only for male bodies – 'we can't fit in that car' – which caused her and other women drivers to complain to the FIA regulatory body to ensure cars were built for both men and women. That issue was fixed, but Al Qubaisi feels it's symbolic of the inequality that exists in the sport. Telling her own story As she sets off on a new racing journey with her sister, Al Qubaisi feels that every bump along the way has prepared her for the difficulties ahead – not just as a racing driver, but as a public figure. She will rely less on how others tell her story and start to take an even greater hand in telling her own. 'I have a cameraman and we're doing our own YouTube docuseries for the racing championship. Every race weekend we show everything from our perspective and it's very authentic and very natural,' she says. 'I've learnt that I don't need anything polished and professional. These days, I just have to be real.'
