Fourteen Issue 000 EN

fourteen

The

Olympic Issue

04

09 2016

the

sports

journal

issue

00

september

Big News

11

Kuwait sports authority dissolves the Kuwait FA and Olympic Committee 04

Of The Month The Interview

15

A walk down memory lane with the nation’s 1980 Olympic football captain Hamad Bu Hamad 07

A Recap

Looking back at the suspension of the Kuwait Olympic Committee in 2015 08

Some History

Al Shammari’s emotional realization after winning Bronze in the 2006 Asian Games

Front Cover, Above: Saphiya Abu Al-Maati

00

Olympic Crisis

RECOVERY 33

Discussing the political situation of Kuwaiti sports with Dr. Jasem Al-Huwaidi, Deputy Director for Administrative and Financial Affairs in the Public Authority for Sports

Quote, Number, Comment, Top and Flop 05

issue

F EAT U R ES

WARM-UP 03

04 2016

23

2000 Olympic Participation

Introducing the six Kuwaiti Olympians that you may have missed at the 2016 Rio Summer Games: Abbas Qali, Abdulaziz Al-Shatti, Abdulrahman AlFaihan, Ahmed Al-Afasy, Khaled Al Mudhaf and Saud Habib

Bashar Abdullah speaks on the painful reality of sports in Kuwait and the pride of representing one’s nation through the lens of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games

35

Summer Athletes

37

Interviews with- and stories of- athletes that championed over the summer months: Khaled Al Awadhi, Mohammed Burbayea and Abdulaziz Al-Rashed

01

Highlight

University Athletics

AUK Senior Coordinator of Sports, Omar Mehdi, introduces the private universities’ athletics league: University Athletics Association of Kuwait (UAAK)

The Gym

Fourteen takes a tour of the Flare Fitness facility with one of their top gym instructors, Gareth Redding, and learns about their unique fitness programs

BIG NEWS

Kuwait sports authority dissolves Football Association and Olympic Committee KUWAIT, Aug 25, 2016 (KUNA) “The Public Authority for Sports (PAS) has decided to dissolve the Kuwait Football Association and the Kuwaiti Olympic Committee, assigning two interim commissions -- alluding the measure to financial irregularities.

Hamoud Flaiteh, PAS Deputy General Director, affirmed in an official statement that the board made the decisions at today’s meeting; chaired by Information Minister and Minister of State for Youth

Associated Press

Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Humoud Al-Sabah. The assigned temporary commissions will take all necessary measures to effect the decisions, he said.

Association board will serve for six months. It will be tasked with representing Kuwait in local and external soccer tournaments.

Flaiteh added that according to the decisions, the two interim commissions will represent the State of Kuwait at the local and external sports levels.

Moreover, they will take all necessary action to tackle all irregularities done by the two dismissed boards.

Flaiteh indicated that the decisions were taken after the two boards refused to cooperate to tackle the irregularities, adding that the commission to be charged with soccer affairs will be chaired

by Fawaz Al-Hasawi.

The two commissions are also entitled to take legal procedures against the illegal activities in a manner that will safeguard public funds.

The assigned committee that would take over jurisdictions of the football

03

For his part, Minister Sheikh Salman confirmed dissolving the Olympic Committee board and assigning an interim one with a 6-month mandate, to be chaired by Sheikh Fahad Jaber AlAli.”

OF THE MONTH

NUMBER OF THE MONTH

56

TWEET OF THE MONTH @nasseralfadhly - “If

the government’s decision to replace the Olympic Committee and Football Association brings an end to this crisis, then we will all stand by you. But, if the decision was made as a form of retribution, that is unacceptable. Kuwait is a respectable country, not a circus.”

The Moscow 1980 Summer Olympics saw the largest number of Kuwaiti athletes to ever represent the country at a single Olympic games. 56 Kuwaiti athletes competed in over eighteen individual events.

Nasser Alfadhly’s opinion on the dissolution of the Olympic Committee and the Kuwaiti FA

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“Brazilian fans adopt man with no country.”

Channel News Asia report title on Abdullah Al Rashidi

TOP OF THE MONTH

FLOP OF THE MONTH

Al Arabi Club may face sanctions from FIFA after playing

a friendly game against a Turkish club during their summer training camp. Kuwaiti football clubs have been banned from participation in international games until further notice. Additionally, Al-Arabi continues to face difficulties in registering foreign players in the Kuwait FA.

Fehaid Al Deehani won his first gold medal at the Rio

Olympic Games, becoming the only Kuwaiti in history with this achievement - totaling to a personal medal haul of three at the Olympics.

Left: Edgard Garrido | Reuters

04

THE INTERVIEW

The Good Old Days Kuwait’s 1980 Olympic football team captain Hamad Bu Hamad

O

were surrounded by top athletes from all over the world.”

n the 31st of March 1980, Kuwait qualified for the Moscow Olympics after defeating Iraq in a narrow game of three goals to two. Once at the Olympic games, Kuwait continued their excellent performance, qualifying for the quarter finals, as Jassim Yaqoub’s impressive goal and Faisal Al Dakheel’s hat-trick proved too difficult for their competitors from both Nigeria and Columbia. While they eventually lost to the Soviet Union, the host country, during the quarter finals, the team members had already accomplished a great feat, taking Kuwaiti football to its greatest moment in history.

“Although we lost the game, our match against the Soviet Union was historical. They were the host nation and one of the best teams at the Olympics. We played a great game and fought till the last minute. I recall there was a meeting in the Soviet Union’s government that was interrupted because of Jassim Yaqoub’s goal and they canceled the meeting and watched the rest of the match.”

“I had the pleasure to meet the world champion in gymnastics Nadia Comaneci. When we shook hands, little did

“Leading up to the Olympics our squad had several injuries. I was one of the players that played despite my injury.

I know that I was about to shake hands with a cactus! They were the roughest and driest hands I have ever seen! Through our conversation I found out that her hands reached this stage due to relentless practice using the rings.”

Regardless, we played surprisingly well and our performance exceeded everyone’s expectations throughout the tournament.

Even the legendary Russian goalkeeper Lev Yashin praised our goal keeper Ahmad Al Tarbulsi’s performance. People couldn’t believe how well we played. We were accused of taking performance enhancement drugs. Ahmad Al Tarabulsi and I were asked to conduct doping tests but we cleared them all with no complications.”

“During the opening day it was raining all over Moscow except for inside the stadium that held the opening ceremony. For some strange reason it would be raining outside the stadium but not a single drop of rain would fall inside the stadium! We were able to enjoy an exciting and dry opening ceremony.”

“It was sensational! The Kuwait delegation was much bigger

“Unfortunately, it pains us all that Kuwait must be represented

back then than now, relative to teams that are regional champions of their sport. It was a very memorable experience. The Olympic City itself was beautiful and had everything you can think of. We

Courtesy of Hamad Bu Hamad

under the Olympic flag. Nevertheless, every one of our athletes is a Kuwaiti flag; I am certain that they will all make us proud.”

05

RI A B

O IC F

LD I W

FEEI

~

~ @WILD.KWT

coming soon..

#FINDtheWILD

A RECAP

Olympic Announcement: 27 Oct 2015 SUSPENSION OF THE KUWAIT OLYMPIC COMMIT TEE

T

he Olympic Movement in Kuwait has faced a number of issues to preserve its autonomy in recent years due to amended sports legislation in Kuwait. The official announcement follows: “The IOC, in close collaboration with the International Federations concerned, has done everything possible to resolve the situation amicably and in the interest of the Olympic Movement in Kuwait.

A meeting took place on 12 October 2015 in Lausanne with representatives of the IOC, the Government of Kuwait and the Kuwait Olympic Committee. Following this meeting, a deadline of 27 October 2015 was set to resolve the issues at hand or, at least, freeze the application of the conflictive provisions of the sports legislation until a reasonable and mutually acceptable solution could be found.

Baron de Coubertin | IOC Logo

Unfortunately, the deadline expired with no action having been taken by the Government of Kuwait. The case has been reported to the IOC EB, which took the following decision on the basis of Rules 27.9 and 59.1.4 (a) of the Olympic Charter:

in due time with regard to the participation of Kuwaiti athletes in the Olympic Games and in any other international Olympicrelated events, in close coordination with the sports organizations concerned and in particular the International Federations.

1. To suspend the KOC in order to protect

c. The IOC and Olympic Solidarity will withhold all financial assistance from the KOC.

the Olympic Movement in Kuwait from undue government interference, with the following consequences: a. The KOC is not entitled to participate in any activity connected with the Olympic Movement or exercise any right conferred upon it by the Olympic Charter or the IOC. This includes, in particular, any activity organised by associations of NOCs to which the KOC is affiliated. b. The IOC EB reserves the right to take further measures and to determine actions

07

2.

This decision is effective as from 27 October 2015.

The IOC hopes that all concerned parties will soon reach a satisfactory solution to rectify this very unfortunate situation in the interest of the Olympic Movement in Kuwait and the athletes’ participation in the numerous international sporting events coming up, in particular the Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016.”

SOME HISTORY

Fawzi Al Shammari December 10, 2006

“What I achieved today is a victory for myself and I don’t credit this medal to anyone but myself, as no one in the sports administration in Kuwait supported nor helped me.”

Fawzi Al Shammari competed and collected the bronze medal of the men’s 400m final for the 15th Asian Games at Khalifa Stadium in Doha, 10 December 2006.

Marwan Naamani | Getty Images

08

THE MOMENT

Abdullah Al Rashidi Abdullah Al Rashidi humbly takes a moment after winning Bronze in the Men’s Skeet Finals to be thankful for his achievement on Day 8 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Shooting Centre on August 13, 2016.

Hassan Ammar | Associated Press

10

10

O LY M P I C C R I S I S

ROCK BOTTOM Kuwait under siege to protect itself from undue government interference An Inter view with Dr. Jasem Al Huwaidi

W

hat will it take for Kuwait to breakaway from this standstill? How will we emerge from this vicious cycle when the people responsible for causing a crisis refuse to take responsibility? How much longer will our athletes have to carry the burden of this conflict? Is it fair that the first gold medal in the history of Kuwait is granted to the Independent Olympic Athletes? What is the solution to this problem? Is it removing those that have held international and local executive positions for decades? These are only some of the questions that the Kuwaiti Olympic suspension has brought about in recent days.

across all international sporting competitions, its appearance at the 2016 summer games is now reduced to a group of local, talented athletes with no option but to compete under the Olympic flag without any mention of Kuwait.

Where the fault lies in the country’s suspension is up for debate. While the official suspension was handed down by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), there are those who believe that this was ultimately caused by local federations and committees. Dr. Jasem Al Huwaidi, the Deputy Director for Administrative and Financial Affairs in the Public Authority for Sport, expressed to Fourteen his frustration with the actions of executives in such local federations and committees, saying “I voice my disappointment as an administrator and former athlete that represented Kuwait at the Olympic Games. We are saddened by what has been happening lately to sports in Kuwait. It’s an absolute disaster that Kuwait gets suspended from the IOC by its own people!” Dr. Al Huwaidi added, “when the

Many have wondered whether or not the National Assembly and local government, despite being blamed for the crisis by the Kuwait National Olympic Committee (KNOC), will be able to swoop in and save the day with a last minute solution to the continuously growing problem of Kuwait’s suspension from the 2016 summer Olympic games.

While Kuwait was once a nation proudly represented

Adrian Dennis | Getty Images

12

head of the Kuwait federation or the head of the KNOC sends reports or letters to the IOC causing the suspension of all sport activity in Kuwait, then we must recognize that the suspension came from within us and not from the IOC.” “Moreover, during our meeting in Geneva that was attended by representatives of Kuwait, lead by his excellency the Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud and Sheikh Ahmad al-Mansur and his fellow members of the National Assembly, we were surprised to find the chairman of the KNOC sitting at the opposite end of the negotiations, accusing Kuwait’s government of interfering.” He added “everyone knows that during the suspension Kuwait’s athletes can only participate in the Olympics under the Olympic flag and no one is happy with that. Unfortunately, today there are some individuals that view Kuwait as a commodity they can control as they wish.”

Dr. Al Huwaidi explained that other countries in the region have similar cases to Kuwait but have not received any bans

Le Sports

or suspensions by the IOC “That is unjust and unfortunately none of the executives from those international organizations objected to this injustice.”

The Deputy Director and former Kuwait international player continued to expand on the situation, responding to those who question or blame the government by stating that “after the announcement of Kuwait’s suspension there was misinformation floating around claiming that the Kuwaiti government interferes in sports legislations. On the contrary

“It’s an absolute disaster that Kuwait gets suspended from the IOC by its own people” 13

the Kuwaiti government supports sports, athletes, and sports facilities in many different ways and with large sums of money in hopes of enhancing Kuwait’s sports sector and elevating it to higher levels. Unfortunately today the problem that we face is with individuals and not with the sports reality we live in.” He defended the efforts of the government and praised the new laws passed, explaining that “the Public Authority of Sport and his excellency the Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman AlHamoud, along with his excellency Sheikh Ahmed Mansour, took a serious stand and passed new laws that will put the Kuwaiti sports sector back on track and force sports executives in Kuwait to be responsible for the protection of the State of Kuwait in international organizations and local Federations”.

Though, there are still those that believe the government is to blame for not resolving the issue earlier and having the ban lifted. In a statement to the press published by Al Watan News, the former Chairman of the KNOC, Sheikh

those involved, what is agreed upon by all has been the great deal of trouble that the suspension crisis has caused. As millions of viewers watched the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympic Games proud of their country and filled with joy, Kuwaiti viewers were left in a position somewhere between devastation and pride, watching as their talented athletes made their way into the world’s largest sporting event, all without a single Kuwaiti flag in sight. No one will forget the image of Faye Sultan, Abbas Qali, and Abdulaziz Al-Shatti, as they entered the stadium walking behind the Olympic flag, nor will they forget the disappointed look on Fehaid Al Deehani’s face as he stood on the podium waiting to receive his gold medal, watching the rise of the Olympic flag and listening to the Olympic anthem instead of his own.

It is unfortunate that sports in Kuwait have become a casualty of conflict -- a conflict between two sides of the same team who leave in their wake a generation of talented and dedicated athletes that will not know the feeling of seeing their country’s flag alongside them during their greatest athletic achievements.

“Unfortunately today there are some individuals that view Kuwait as a commodity they can control as they wish” Talal Al-Fahad, held the Minister of State for Youth Affairs responsible for causing this crisis, saying “We are filled with pain and anguish that millions of human beings, and forty-five heads of state and heads of government, will watch Kuwaiti athletes walk behind the Olympic flag during the Olympic opening ceremony of Rio 2016. Unfortunately, all of this is caused by the Minister and his Deputy.”

In the same statement, Sheikh Talal AlFahad called the government’s decision unwise and inexperienced, stating “We should have taken advantage of previous experiences and had greater coordination with international organizations, but such initiatives were rejected and we saw an autocratic decision made that was pure mismanagement by the Sports Authorities. Moreover in spite of the verbal and written advice that we have provided throughout this crisis, the executives in

Top: Getty Images, Right: Wadani Art

charge of the Kuwait Suspension case deliberately antagonized the international sports organizations in ways that proved lack of wisdom and inexperience.”

The former Chairman of KNOC suggested and warned, in his own press release, that the solution to this problem is only through negotiations with international organizations, explaining that “if we want real reform, the first step is to hold accountable anyone who caused this crisis and then reopen negotiations with the international organizations. We believe that this is the correct path that will bring Kuwait back to the international sports community and we should continue to work hard on our local sports clubs and federation for our youth.”

While impressions and opinions of where to place the blame have varied across

14

We must not forget that the night is darkest just before dawn and from the sorrows of tragedy comes hope for a better future.

Without a doubt, Kuwait continues to give birth to remarkable talents and has always had extraordinary athletes and teams participating in the highest levels of competition. Yet, the question remains: will the current suspension and the painful scenes witnessed in Rio 2016 urge sports executives and decision-makers to modify the system and free Kuwait from the IOC ban and bring Kuwait sports back to its former glory? Or will the conflicts between the KNOC and the government continue on and lead the future of Kuwaiti sports into oblivion?

SY D N E Y O LY M P I C S

The Ol ympic Experience Memories of the Olympics and the painful reality of sports in Kuwait An Inter view with former Kuwaiti football captain Bashar Abdullah

16

O

n the 12th of November 1999 Kuwait’s Olympic football team qualified for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and produced one of the most memorable performances in Kuwait’s football history. Bashar Abdullah, one of the key players on both the national and Olympic team, talks to Fourteen about the team’s experience at the Olympic games.

How was the team’s performance throughout the qualifications?

This is probably the first time I mention this to the press, but in the beginning no one expected us to go through the first round of qualifications. At that time, the team was going through a difficult period and putting together an Olympic team was not an easy task. Back then I was still tied up in Saudi Arabia with my club so I didn’t participate in any of the friendly matches or any of the training camps. I remember I only joined the Olympic team a day or two before our first match in the qualifications. Our first two matches in the qualifications were away from home; we started our journey in Muscat against Oman and then traveled to Damascus and faced Syria. Finally, our last two games in the first round of the qualifications were home games against Oman and Syria, and thankfully, despite the odds, we qualified easily for the next round. In the second round of the qualifications we faced Qatar and Saudi Arabia and again didn’t face much difficulty seeing off both teams.

We qualified to the Olympics without even having to play our last match. It was surprising that we qualified for the Olympics, but that goes back to the grace of Allah and the efforts and hard work of our players, coaches, and administration.

fields, and practice matches that were made available to us were probably the best in the history of any Kuwaiti team.

How were the team’s preparations for the Olympics?

What was the atmosphere like at the Olympics?

It was the best preparation for any team in the history of Kuwait! We had a month long training camp in Europe where we played friendly matches against reputable teams such as Slovakia, Inter Milan, Aston Villa, and Southampton. Following our month in Europe, we traveled to Japan and played a friendly match against both the Japanese and Australian national teams. Overall, the preparations were outstanding and the standard of hotels,

Ben Radford | Getty Images

Although I have never been to the World Cup, I don’t think one could compare its atmosphere to the atmosphere of the Olympics. People had described to us the atmosphere of other international tournaments, but our experience at the Olympics was better than we could have imagined. When we arrived at our hotel in Melbourne, we were quickly taken back by the number of teams and athletes staying in the hotel and the overall

17

atmosphere it created. We had teams that played basketball, gymnastics, handball, and both the Spanish and Chilean football teams staying in our hotel. It was very easy to mingle and interact with other athletes from different sports and from all over the world. Moreover, at our hotel there was a big hall equipped with video games and table tennis where many of the athletes would hang out. You would play video games or table tennis against athletes like Puyol for an example; it was a lot of fun!

What were the matches like?

During all of our games the stadium was always full; it made us realize that we

“We were competing on a whole new level...It felt as if we were a part of the matches that we used to watch on TV back in Kuwait!” were competing on a whole new level.

We faced very strong teams and some world class players, such as Samuel Eto’o, Mbomba, and Milan Baroš. The experience was surreal because of the organization of the tournament, quality of the pitches, enthusiasm of the crowd, and match highlights made available to us after the game. It felt as if we were a part of the matches that we used to watch on TV back in Kuwait! After experiencing the Olympics, I have tried explaining it to the current generation, urging them to do their best to qualify for the Olympics as it is truly a once in a life time experience.

Were you expecting these results?

Despite not qualifying to the second round, our team’s performance surprised everyone. In our first game, we played against Cameroon, who were favorites to win the competition and did end up

Rabih Moghrabi | Getty Images

winning the gold medal. We expected to get annihilated by Cameroon, as they had world class players like Samuel Eto’o, Mbomba, and Geremi; but it was a close game and we lost by only one goal. Our second game was also a difficult one. We played against Czech Republic, who were expected to qualify to the second round alongside Cameroon, but we were able to beat Czech Republic 3-1. The Kuwaiti federation had offered us monetary incentives to motivate us to qualify for the second round. They gave us the option of receiving the incentives before our final game against America, or quadruple the incentives after we qualified for the second round. We decided to take the first option and receive the benefits before our final match against America. But sadly, although all we needed was a draw to qualify, the team was not mentally prepared and was physically exhausted

18

from the previous games. We ended up losing to America and that was the end of our journey at the Olympics. As I have said, although we did not qualify for the second round, our overall performance surprised everyone and we were very proud of the way we played. We know that our level of performance was only made possible because of the caliber of preparations before the tournament.

This should serve as a message to all of our current admin in the federations and clubs, that they cannot achieve results without preparing their teams in the best possible way.

What was your most memorable match?

While we beat Czech Republic and it made everyone back home very happy and hopeful that we would qualify, my most memorable match was actually

team performed very well and had already been training together for over a year, they should add a few players from the national team and compete in the Asian Cup themselves, in turn, replacing the national team. Unfortunately, that suggestion was not supported and the national team was sent to compete in the Asian Cup as planned. I believe that that was one of the worst decisions ever made by the Kuwait Football Federation. The players of the Olympic team were sent back to their clubs, extremely disappointed that they would not be able to compete further, and the national team was knocked out of the Asian Cup in a game against Saudi Arabia.

In the end, Kuwaiti football was never able to fully recover from these two losses.

What did you think of Kuwait’s performance at the Rio Olympics 2016?

“It’s every football player’s dream to represent their country, and now, as a result of conflicts between a few individuals, that dream is suspended” against Cameroon. Probably because I did not expect it to be such a close match and the atmosphere the crowd created was fantastic. I remember the crowd was supporting Cameroon in the beginning, and later during the game the crowd began supporting Kuwait!

How was your team’s reception in Kuwait after your respectable performances? And why have we not seen similar performances from

Peter Parks | Getty Images

Kuwait since then?

The Kuwaiti people were, and still are, very proud of the team’s performance at the Olympics. We felt very appreciated.

After the Olympics, the players from the national team that had participated in the games were supposed to join the rest of the squad at a training camp in Greece or Cyprus, as they were preparing for the Asian Cup. At that time, a few of the administrators in the federation put forward a suggestion: since the Olympic

19

Without a doubt, this was certainly our personal best at the Olympics, as we won both a gold and a bronze medal.

Winning a gold medal, despite the dismal conditions of Kuwaiti sports, is a loud and clear message to our sports authorities and administrators that there is plenty of talent in Kuwait that they must support.

There are other countries in the region that spend billions to provide for their athletes in hopes that they might win a gold medal and yet they haven’t. Whereas in Kuwait, nothing is offered to our athletes and they were still able to win a gold medal at the Olympics with absolutely no support. They couldn’t even offer our athletes the opportunity to compete under their own flag. Unfortunately, right now, sports in Kuwait are a disaster in every way possible. The biggest proof of this is that Kuwait is not even recognized as a competing country at the Olympics and its football clubs are banned from competing in international tournaments.

To make things worse, the only gold medal in the history of Kuwait is attributed to the Independent Olympic Athletes (IOA) and not Kuwait -- I can’t imagine anything worse than that!

At the moment, many of the football players in Kuwait are dejected by the country’s situation. It’s every football player’s dream to represent their country and now, as a result of conflicts between a few individuals, that dream is suspended until further notice.

THE MOMENT

10

Faye Sultan Faye Sultan, Kuwait’s only female athlete in the Olympics, realizes she has just broken her personal record and won her Women’s 50m Freestyle heat on Day 7 of the Rio Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 12, 2016.

Clive Rose | Getty Images

10

KHALED A L AWA D H I Al Awadhi takes silver medal in the 2016 Hong Kong O p e n Wa k e b o a r d C o m p e t i t i o n

23

W

hen did you start wakeboarding? In 2010,

my cousin bought a jet ski and because I don’t like them, I bought a wakeboard instead. I ended up practicing on it for about a year. I used to watch the wakeboarding team practice in Khiran and that motivated me to buy a boat and learn new tricks so I could join the team.

Did anyone specific inspire you to start or join? Yes, Bader Al-Jihayem (team captain). I always used to watch him ride and thought maybe I could be like him.

Throughout the 6 years since you’ve started, how have you seen yourself improve? In the beginning it was

difficult, because it was completely new and I didn’t know how to do the tricks that you see, but it gets easier the more you learn. With time, you lose the fear of not knowing where you are in the air.

After that, you progress a lot faster and start building on what you already know - you add a spin to a flip, or try to spin more than you already do, and it’s baby steps from there.

How long did it take for you to lose that fear? It took a long time and a number of injuries for me to realize that if I’m going to continue with wakeboarding, I have to accept that injuries are a part of it. With time you get used to them and you learn to just get back on the board as soon as you recover.

How does your family feel about all of your injuries? With sport sponsorships being considerably weak in Kuwait, it’s actually very hard to focus entirely on a career in sports. And parents, looking out for your best interest, try to support you as much as they can while constantly reminding you that eventually you’ll grow old and will already be behind in any other professional career you choose to pursue. They never really understand the passion you have for your sport, yet they support you regardless. I am sure many serious athletes will agree.

What board do you ride or use? I’ve used so many boards in the past 6 years, but Ronix seems to be my go-to choice.

Throughout your career thus far, what has been your biggest success?

In 2015, I placed 3rd in Pro division at

Left, Right: Courtesy of Khaled Al Awadhi

“I don’t do this to be recognized...

I do all of this because I have a passion for the sport” an Asian Cable Wakeboard Competition in Taiwan, going up against some of the riders I used to look up to while I was learning. The level of competition was very high, with some professional riders sponsored by Red Bull. Standing on the podium with these guys was a huge achievement for me.

Can you tell us what the lowest point in your career was? The lowest point was when I hit a wall of progression last year, and felt that I couldn’t progress at the pace I used to. I started doubting myself and began to think “maybe I should look for something else?” or “maybe this isn’t for me.” Fortunately, I powered through this and am now learning faster than I ever have before.

How were you received when you came back to Kuwait after your last competition? This time was quite different. I don’t usually get any attention after a competition, but I got a phone call from Al Rai and Fourteen - that was really nice! I also got sponsored by a gym! I don’t do this to be recognized or

24

for someone to congratulate me, I do all of this because I have a passion for the sport and goals that I want to achieve. It is nice to be recognized though.

What’s next for you? There is a wakeboarding competition at the end of August organized by the Public Authority for Sports that I will compete in. Outside of competitions, I am trying to get cable wakeboarding started in Kuwait, but that will take time.

What advice do you have for anyone who is thinking of starting wakeboarding?

Anyone trying something new should give it more than one shot, especially in extreme sports.

They are usually pretty rough at the start and very hard to learn, but as soon as you pick up the pace you’ll begin to advance and feel much more confident.

It’s really all about bouncing back on those hard days where everything seems to be going sour. You break through that wall and the feeling is just unbelievably gratifying.

ABDULAZIZ AL-RASHED His stor y in his own words

I

was first inspired to start cycling after watching my cousin, Hasan AlRashed, competing in his first triathlon three years ago. The problem that I, and all other potential triathletes in Kuwait, face, is that there is no clear road to becoming a triathelete; you have to find your own way. When I first began, I didn’t own a professional bike like the rest of the cycling group, but it didn’t matter to me; it was still just a hobby and I was riding for fun. I quickly fell in love with cycling, using my bike to go everywhere. I loved taking risks with my bike and feeling the adrenaline rush of riding on busy roads, until the day that my father unexpectedly

Courtesy of Abdulaziz Al-Rashed

saw me. He immediately banned me from riding, but I knew I couldn’t allow myself to quit.

Later on, my cousin gave me his old bike and it was the first professional bike I ever owned. Although it wasn’t customized or properly fit to my height and size, it was at least a step up from my old one. I started getting used to his bike and participated in a few cycling races in Kuwait for the experience. Doing so made me realize that I was actually good and had the potential to grow beyond my current level - I wanted to be able to compete. I began practicing and joined any race I could get

25

my hands on. After participating in several cycling competitions, I registered for my first triathlon. I wasn’t ready to compete in the swimming and running parts of the race, so I formed a team. We finished in third place. I loved with the atmosphere of the race and the sport as a whole. I realized that not only can I compete, but I wanted to win the gold medal.

I wanted to learn more and become good enough to compete in all three activities (cycling, swimming, and running). So I got myself a coach, and he taught me all the fundamentals and training exercises that every triathlete must know. A month later,

not an easy task balancing two exhausting training sessions a day, going to class, studying, and traveling to participate in triathlons. Eventually, I realized that medicine was not my thing. So I decided that I would go back home to work on what I really want, in parallel to attending Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST).

“I finished in third place in Dubai, and at that point, my father started believing in my passion for the sport...Since then, he has been my number one supporter” my coach had to leave Kuwait to pursue another job, but in that one month we trained together, I learned so much from him. My passion for triathlons pushed me to pursue races outside of Kuwait and I began registering in competitions around the region. I reassured my parents who were worried about me traveling alone at the age of 16, packed up my bike, and was off to my first race outside of Kuwait.

I finished in third place in Dubai, and at that point, my father started believing in my passion. He was used to me trying different sports for a few weeks at a time and then getting bored of them, looking for a new one to start right after. This

Courtesy of Abdulaziz Al-Rashed

time, he knew it was different. My father was convinced by my dedication and commitment and knew that I was serious about becoming a triathelete. Since then, he has been my number one supporter.

My love for triathlons became one of the top priorities in my life. My old coach was in Bahrain coaching the national team, so when it came time for me to go to college, I chose to go to Bahrain to rejoin my coach and his team without any hesitation. I was excited to practice under a qualified coach who would enhance my abilities and allow me to receive professional attention. I was studying pre-med at the time, and it was

26

Following my return to Kuwait, I began to change my perspective and set my goals on becoming an international triathlete.

It was not easy at all, especially during the time when Kuwait was banned from competition and had no federations unlike other teams. I worked with what I had and Ooredoo believed in my talent, becoming my very first sponsor. As a part of my vision to become an internationally recognized triathlete, I started competing in races across the Arab World and Europe, and was able to return home with several medals. Moreover, this year I achieved one of my goals of competing in triathlon races in America. I finished second in the Junior Miami Triathlon, first in the San Diego Tri Rock Series, and second in the Laguna Xterra Off-Road Triathlon. I was very happy with my performances, especially since it was my first time competing outside the Arab region and racing in an off-road triathlon. I owe it all to my friends studying in America that supported me throughout my stay and during all three races, I couldn’t have done it without them.

As for my last race in Zurich, it wasn’t planned at all. I was on holiday with my family and no matter where I travel, I always take my bike with me. I searched online and happened to find a race nearby; I planned everything just a week before the race, and left my family to go compete in the Zurich Triathlon. It wasn’t an easy race for me, because I was still recovering from injuries that I endured during my last competition in Laguna.

But, thankfully, I was still able to finish the race in second place. Up next, I am preparing for a few races in October and look forward to making my country and family proud.

10

MOHAMMED B U R B AY E A The Most Decorated Jet Ski Champion in the Middle-East

THE BEGINNING In the world of sports, Jet Skis are considered a type of motorsport. My story with Jet Skis begins at an early age.

Throughout my childhood, my family and I used to ride Jet Skis for fun during weekends, though it was never more than just a hobby for me. When my older brother started participating in Jet Ski races and tournaments, I was inspired to start practicing and taking my skills to the next level. I went from being an amateur that rides around on Jet Skis for fun to a professional that practices six days a week and participates in competitions.

My first race was when I was sixteen years old and I represented ProRider in the beginners division at the Kuwait National Competition for Jet Skis. I finished in first place and since then, my journey into professional jet ski racing has taken off.

I am now the first Kuwaiti to compete at the highest level of Jet Ski competitions

Bomb Photography

for four consecutive years without being relegated to a lower level.

NATIONAL TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS Usually thirty five to forty countries participate in the World Finals and each nation is ranked based on the number of medals they win. Kuwait’s national team won the “The Ideal Team” award in 2011 and Kuwait has received the maximum score possible (three hundred points) at every World Finals since. While the American national team has also received three hundred points, they participate with a team of one hundred and twenty racers -- Kuwait only competes with eight.

PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS Between national and international competitions, I have won one hundred and thirty two trophies and medals. I have also won the World Finals nineteen

28

“I am currently one of Red Bull’s athletes, the only chosen Jet Ski racer in the world to represent them” times in nine consecutive years which is a historical accomplishment in motorsports. Moreover, I have won the Emirates Championship six times, Kuwait Championship four times, European Championship once, the silver medal in the King’s Cup in Thailand, and a silver medal at the Oman Asian Beach Games 2010. It is important to mention that I am ranked second between four hundred Jet

Ski racers from thirty five countries. The first place ranked Jet Ski racer since 1980 has won twenty five gold medals in thirty six years; meanwhile, I have won nineteen gold medals in nine years.

I owe my entire success and all my achievements to God and team ProRider because they taught me everything I know about the sport. What is special about ProRider is that it’s made up of fifteen Kuwaiti members with different responsibilities. The entire team is 100% Kuwaiti, from the head of the delegation to the mechanics. With a team that is fully Kuwaiti, nobody can accuse me of riding a Jet Ski created by someone else in America or anything of the sort. In addition, all the of secrets of my Jet Ski remain private and contained within our team.

FAVORITE ACCOMPLISHMENT Although I am currently one of Red Bull’s athletes and the only chosen Jet Ski racer in the world to represent Red Bull, my favorite accomplishment, and one of my proudest moments, was receiving the Youth Excellence and Creativity of Kuwait Award. I was given the award by His Highness the Amir and was very proud

Courtesy of Mohammed Burbayea

to be able to meet him through having excelled in motorsports.

SUPPORT FROM THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR SPORTS As a member of the Kuwait national team, I receive monetary support like any basketball or football player that plays for the national team. We receive monetary support according to the Public Authority’s bylaws and not based on our need. Sadly, it only covers a small amount

“The first place ranked Jet Ski racer since 1980 has won twenty five gold medals in thirty six years; meanwhile, I have won nineteen gold medals in nine years.”

29

of our expenses. For example, in the last race I participated in, the Public Authority for Sports gave me 400 KWD as shipping allowance, meanwhile it actually costs 3400 KWD to ship the Jet Ski to Poland. So, despite the fact that we receive monetary support from the Public Authority for Sports, it doesn’t cover much.

MEDIA COVERAGE In the past two years, media coverage of motorsports has greatly increased compared to previous years when I would win medals and trophies in international tournaments but receive no coverage.

Especially with the widespread use of social media, our accomplishments have become much more exposed to people.

ADVICE TO BEGINNERS My advice to anyone who wants to practice motorsports is to buy a professional Jet Ski and not rely on the Jet Ski that is available to them in their family’s beach house. After buying the Jet Ski, they must make sure to service it every six months and replace their it at the end of every season in order to keep up with the competition.

THE MOMENT

Fehaid Al Deehani Gold medalist Fehaid Al Deehani celebrates the instant he secured Gold after a successful double shot during the men’s double trap final at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Shooting Centre on August 10, 2016.

Eugene Hoshiko | Associated Press

HIGHLIGHT

OLYMPIC ATHLETE PROFILES Meet the six Kuwaiti Olympians that you may have missed at the 2016 Rio Summer Games

ABDULRAHMAN AL - FAIHAN Shooter (Trap) Age 30

Abdulrahman Al-Faihan competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics in the Men’s Trap Shooting as an Independent Olympic Athlete.

In 2006, Al-Faihan won a gold medal in the Junior World Championships. He has also won 2 gold medals in the Asian Shooting Championships in both 2008 and 2014.

SAUD HABIB Shooter (Skeet) Age 37

Saad Habib has participated in two Olympic Games - in Sydney during the 2000 Summer Olympics and at the 2016 Summer Rio Olympics, in the Men’s Skeet Shooting competition. Habib was awarded a bronze medal at the World Cup in 2000.

Top, Bottom: 24.com

33

KHALED AL MUDHAF

AHMED AL - AFASY

Khalid Al-Mudhaf has participated in 3 Olympic Games, most recently taking part in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Al-Mudhaf was awarded a gold medal in the World Championships in 2002, having previously received over 12 medals across gold, silver, and bronze throughout past international competitions.

Ahmed Al-Afasi competed in the Men’s Double Trap Shooting in the 2016 Rio Olympics as an Independent Olympic Athlete.

He won a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2015 (Lonato) and a silver medal at the Asian Shooting Championships in 2014 (Al-Ain).

ABDULAZIZ AL - SHATTI

ABBAS QALI

Abdulaziz Al-Shatti competed as an IOA in Fencing épée at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He is an epeeist on the Kuwait National Team and is also a member of the Qadsiya club team. In 2013 he competed in the Shanghai Asian Championships, finishing in 27th place.

Abbas Qali competed in the Men’s 100m butterfly as an Independent Olympic Athlete at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Qali is a member of the Kuwaiti National Swim team and a student athlete at the University of Alabama. He holds the national Kuwaiti record for the 50m in butterfly with a time of 24.8s.

Shooter (Trap) Age 38

Shooter (Double Trap) Age 33

Fencer (épée) Age 25

Top: Menaham Khana, Bottom: Abdulkarim Alshamlan

Swimmer Age 23

34

Top: Al Mustagbal, Bottom R: Swimming World

UAAK

UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS T

he University Athletics Association of Kuwait (UAAK) is the private universities athletics league that was established in 2014 as the new edition of the previous University Championship Cup (UCC). The UAAK is made up of six private universities and consists of seven male sports and five female sports.

In July 2005, the Australian College of Kuwait (ACK), Arab Open University (AOU), American University of Kuwait (AUK), and Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) collaborated and organized a series of small sports competitions, culminating in the UCC. These competitions were made up of 15 teams, participating in a total of three mini, one-day tournaments, designed to promote sportsmanship, healthy living through sport, and positive social interaction between students.

The competition spanned the 2005-06 academic year and concluded with the final event in May 2006, in which one university was declared the University Championship Cup Champion based on the performances of all the teams participating from each university. After 11 years of establishing the UCC, the tournament has developed from three one day tournaments to a league that extends over seven months of the year, with six participating universities, five additional sports, and approximately six hundred and fifty-two student-athletes.

Throughout the past two years, the UAAK has witnessed fierce and exciting rivalry between the universities in every sport.

As a result, the popularity of the UAAK has been growing amongst students and match attendance has been increasing exponentially.

Courtesy of AUK

35

2015/16 CHAMPIONS:

UAAK Men’s Football:

GUST vs. AUM

Result: 0-0 (3-0 penalties) UAAK Women’s Football:

AUK vs. ACK

Result: 1-1 (2-1 penalties) UAAK Men’s Basketball:

AOU vs. AUM Result: 51-40

UAAK Women’s Basketball :

AUK vs. ACK Result: 29-19

UAAK Men’s Volleyball:

AUM vs. ACM Result: 3-1

UAAK Women’s Volleyball:

AUK vs. AUM Result: 3-0

UAAK Men’s Squash:

1st Ahmad Al Tawari (AUM) UAAK Women’s Squash:

1st Fatmah Abdulhussain (AUK) UAAK Men’s Table Tennis:

1st Mishari Al Banai (AUM) UAAK Women’s Table Tennis:

1st Fatmah Abdulhussain (AUK) UAAK Men’s Futsal:

ACK vs. AUK

Fourteen will be covering all of UAAK’s upcoming matches in the new season of 2016-2017. You will find on our website post-match coverage of the games, and interviews in with key players in our monthly issue.

Courtesy of AOU, AUK, ACK

36

Result: 5-3

UAAK Men’s Swimming:

1st place GUST

THE GYM

FLARE FITNESS

A Model Workout Space Located in the heart of one of the hottest and most socially active areas in Al Shuwaikh, Flare Fitness provides an ideal and model workout space for men.

Fourteen took a tour of the impressive facility with one of Flare’s top gym instructors, Gareth Redding.

At the start of the tour we were introduced to the CrossFit class that is led by Coach Chris, a certified CrossFit coach, Personal Trainer, CrossFit Powerlifter, and more. The CrossFit class focuses on the ten domains of fitness, utilizing strength, conditioning, cardio, endurance, and stamina to name a few. Usually, the class starts with a focus on strength and finishes off with a conditioning session. The CrossFit class offers a different program day in and day out to provide the body with a different stimulus each day.

Courtesy of Flare Fitness

37

Next, Gareth took us upstairs to take a look at the Endurance Room, led

by Coach Luka, a certified CrossFit coach, CrossFit Gymnast, and Kettlebell instructor amongst other qualifications.

The Endurance class is an introductory program for newcomers, with scaled CrossFit exercises using dumbbells and kettlebells instead of barbells. Moreover, the Endurance classes are very helpful for anyone who is looking to lose a bit of weight. New members must complete a one month Endurance Program with 3 or 4 sessions a week, after which they can join other classes.

Flare Fitness’ exclusive offerings. The Barbell Room is a specialized facility for Olympic weightlifting that cannot be found in any other CrossFit gym in Kuwait.

It is used to enhance strength, speed, and power. There are two programs and two classes offered each day. The Barbell class is focused on Olympic weightlifting, and when the class is not in session, members can use the Barbell Room for exercises to develop muscle mass and size.

Beside the Endurance Room is one of Flare’s unique services: the Kids room, led

by Coach Patrick who is a Certified CrossFit coach with a wealth of experience working with children and fitness. Coach Patrick conducts sessions filled with activities and games that consist of strength exercises and conditioning workouts. The Flare Fitness Kids membership is an excellent opportunity for parents to keep their children active throughout the week.

“You will be amazed by the welcoming energy, remarkable support, and exhilarating environment inside the gym.”

Finally, Gareth showed us around the Barbell Room, which is another one of

Courtesy of Flare Fitness

In addition to the multiple workout spaces and classes available to their members, Flare Fitness coaches track and assess

38

their members’ physical development.

When you subscribe to Flare Fitness, you receive a planner perfectly designed for keeping track of your training statistics and progress.

As you walk around Flare you will be amazed by the welcoming energy, remarkable support, and exhilarating environment inside the gym. It is clear that their members possess the drive, hard work, and motivation that Flare encourages. Flare is one of the most desirable CrossFit gyms in Kuwait because of its unparalleled work out spaces that are uniquely designed and tailored to support four distinct work outs, thus eliminating any interference or interruptions during sessions.

Flare offers three exciting membership packages to their customers: the CrossFit Membership, the Barbell Club Membership, and the Kids Membership.

Whether you are at work, university, or sitting at home, you can check out the daily schedule and register for classes through their easy to use mobile application. The gym is open 6 days a week and operates from 6:30 am to 10 pm.