
Kuwaiti figure skating team concludes successful training camp in Bergamo
The event brought together 36 athletes from the national teams of Egypt, Greece, South Africa, and the UAE. Representing Kuwait were four skaters: Lara Al-Barrak, Sama Jarrah, Najat Al-Turki, and Ghala Al-Matar.
Speaking about the experience, Lara Al-Barrak described the camp as a valuable opportunity to enhance their skills in figure skating. She noted that the team trained for five hours daily and also attended technical lectures focusing on the fundamentals needed to excel in the sport.
Al-Barrak highlighted the high quality of training at the ISU's Ice Lab Center of Excellence, attributing the strong performance levels to the presence of experienced Olympic coaches. She praised both the practical and theoretical depth of the camp.
She also emphasized the importance of such international events in developing the technical capabilities of Kuwaiti athletes and preparing them to represent the national 'Blue Figure' team in future global competitions.
Al-Barrak concluded by thanking the Kuwait Winter Games Club, led by Fahid Al-Ajmi, for its continued support in promoting figure skating among girls in Kuwait. She also commended the efforts of both the Egyptian and International Federations for organizing a successful international training event.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Kuwait Times
6 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Ilona Maher takes women's rugby onto new plane
PARIS: Ilona Maher transcends women's rugby, giving it a profile outside of the sport in the way that Mia Hamm did for women's football. Now the stage is set at the women's World Cup in England for the American to spark even more interest. The 29-year-old phenomenon has attracted over eight million followers on social media, not only through her sporting exploits but also for her promotion of body positivity. She played a pivotal role in the USA women's team winning a first ever Olympic medal, beating Australia in the third-place playoff in Paris last year. On the back of that achievement, Maher featured in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition and appeared in the US version of hit TV show 'Dancing with the Stars', finishing runner-up. The Maher-fuelled improvement of the USA team attracted the attention of American investor Michele Kang who donated $4 million to help develop the USA Women's Rugby Sevens Team over four years. In another sport, Kang owns the Lyon women's football team, the eight-time European champions. Maher's days in Paris were not just spent playing rugby but also attracting even more followers with her pithy social media posts. She compared life in the Athletes' Village to a reality TV show, in one humorous posting saying she was there 'looking for love', to which her friend replies: 'No you are here to play rugby.' In more reflective mode in Paris, she told the Bleacher Report one of her goals was trying to reassure 'girls' that playing sport did not take away their 'girliness'. 'What we're trying to show is the beauty that in sports you can be a badass on the field, you can be a beast on the field, but also be a beauty,' she said. 'It's really important for me because I want girls to see what their body is capable of. 'It's not just to be looked at, objectified, but it's strong and it's fast, and it's brilliant.' Maher, who through her body positivity push has become a brand ambassador for a deodorant and a skincare product she co-founded, revels in her global popularity and being 'America's sweetheart.' 'I love when people call me that because I feel like I'm maybe not the image you would have of a sweetheart in some sense of the word,' Maher told CNN in January this year. 'I'm honoured.' – AFP

Kuwait Times
6 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Javelin star Kitaguchi finds new home in small Czech town
DOMAZLICE: Reigning Olympic and world javelin champion Haruka Kitaguchi has found a new home in a remote corner of the Czech Republic, a country that is home to several javelin legends. The 27-year-old Japanese is getting ready for next month's world championships in Tokyo in the western Czech town of Domazlice. 'I can concentrate on training here. And the weather is better than in Tokyo which is too hot for me,' Kitaguchi told AFP at the local training centre - on a scorching hot Czech summer day. She ended up in the cosy historic town after teaming up with local coach David Sekerak at a training seminar in Finland in 2018. Former javelin thrower Sekerak knew that she had won the world youth championships in 2015. 'She was a big woman and I could see she had something in her,' he added, hailing her self-discipline. Kitaguchi followed him to the country of three-time Olympic javelin champion Jan Zelezny and two-time Olympic winner Barbora Spotakova. 'When I came for the first time, my coach said, today you can throw with my friend,' Kitaguchi said. 'I went with him, and there was Barbora Spotakova. It was a good experience as she is my idol,' Kitaguchi told AFP. Sekerak has since led her to the 2023 world title and the 2024 Olympic crown, together with two Diamond League titles. Goulash Mixing English and Czech, Kitaguchi said she appreciated 'a good balance' in Sekerak's training. 'He also finds a way... for me to throw far. And every competition he stands behind me, supporting me. It's great mental aid,' she added. A lover of Czech beer and heavy meals like goulash or dumplings in cream sauce, Kitaguchi said she had taken Czech lessons during the pandemic. 'But they only taught me to say 'I have a pen'. Nothing I could use in training,' she said, bursting out laughing. Her tinkling laughter can be heard even as she jogs and stretches alongside her Czech training partner Petra Sicakova, the javelin silver medallist from this year's European under-23 championships. 'My mum said when you train hard, it helps to smile. It's good for good training and good results, she said. So I do that,' Kitaguchi said. When she competed at the Paris Olympics, a cafe in Domazlice's sprawling historic square put up a large screen for locals to cheer for their neighbour. A party followed, and city officials staged an official welcome with a local bagpipe band when Kitaguchi and Sekerak returned home. In Domazlice, Kitaguchi lives in a flat in a hotel run by her coach's wife. 'I did a lot of the building work there myself,' said Sekerak, who also owns a printing shop and makes his own javelins, used by his team. Kitaguchi, who has her mother, a physiotherapist and a cook with her now, has her own model called Giant Baby, which is her Instagram nickname. 'Silly thoughts' Kitaguchi, whose personal best is 67.38 metres from 2023, said her dream was to beat 70 metres. 'It's my target for my life,' she said. Sekerak said Kitaguchi could even tackle Spotakova's world record of 72.28 metres from 2008. One condition is to drop 'silly thoughts' that got into Kitaguchi's head as she was coping with fame following the two big titles, he added. 'I think we wasted about a year there, but she's OK now. It helps to go for a beer and some good food and ice cream together.' Ahead of the Tokyo championships starting on September 13, Kitaguchi's form is a great unknown - she is ranked sixth worldwide this season with a best of 64.63 metres. She will compete at the Diamond League in Lausanne and Zurich in August and then fine-tune her form in Turkey before leaving for Tokyo. Sekerak said she was safer in Domazlice than in Japan where she has become the face of the championships, featuring on billboards across the country. 'It's crazy,' Kitaguchi chuckled, waving aside her celebrity status. 'I hope I can show the best (in Tokyo) with people cheering (for) me and it's going to be a great memory for me. I'm really looking forward to it.' – AFP


Arab Times
10 hours ago
- Arab Times
Al-Shatti praises Salmiya players after strong start to preseason camp
ISTANBUL, Aug 18: Kuwait's clubs are stepping up preparations for the new season with training camps abroad, highlighted by Qadisiya's ongoing schedule in Turkey, Salmiya's strong start in Cyprus, and Arabi's recent arrival in Dubai. Qadisya will face Saudi side Al-Wehda this evening in its fourth friendly match of the camp. The team previously drew 2-2 with Al-Faisaly, lost narrowly 1-0 to Al-Okhdood, and bounced back with a 2-0 win over Fujairah of the UAE. The team will next meet Bahrain's Sitra on Saturday, a side it is also set to face in the group stage of the Gulf Champions League beginning September 30, before closing out the camp against Al-Orouba of Saudi Arabia on August 28. The camp was hit by sad news as Algerian defender Sofiane Bouchar departed to return home following the death of his mother. Meanwhile, Salmiya got off to a winning start in Turkey, defeating Cyprus' Magusa Turk Gucu 4-1 in its opening friendly. Goals came from Brazilian Alex Lima, Libyan forward Sanousi Al-Hadi, and Fawaz Ayed, who scored twice. Head coach Nasser Al-Shatti praised his players for their discipline and commitment in training, stressing that their focus has allowed the preparation program to run smoothly. He expressed satisfaction with the team's display in the first friendly, noting that the players executed the tactics well and benefited from the test. Salmiya is set to play two more friendlies against Turkey's Serik Spor (August 21) and Antalyaspor (August 27). In Dubai, Al-Arabi launched its training camp yesterday as it prepares for the new season. The team will remain in the UAE until August 29 and is scheduled to play two friendlies before returning to Kuwait in early September. Al-Arabi will open its Zain Premier League campaign against Al-Shabab on September 12.