Qatar Cycling Federation - News - Team Qatar training in Switzerland / Doha team is ready for tour of Malaysia

News News Team Qatar training in Switzerland / Doha team is ready for tour of Malaysia

Team Qatar training in Switzerland / Doha team is ready for tour of Malaysia

22-07-2009

With just seven weeks left for the Asian Track Cycling Championships competition to heat up, the Qatar national team members are sweating it out in the cool climes of Switzerland training rigorously for the 29th Asian Track Cycling Championships.

The training camp for the Qatari team, which commenced a fortnight ago, is in full swing at the International Centre of the International Cycling Union (UCI) in Aigle, located about 13 kilometres off Montreux.

The Qatar team for the 29th Asian Track Cycling Championships, which is scheduled to take place in Indonesia from August 15 to 20, includes Tareq Esmaeili, Kaleel Abduljanan, Radhwan Almoraqab, Moosa Khalfan and Ahmed el Bourdainy.

Commenting over how the training programme is progressing, team director Ahmed Hemaidi said, “The riders are having the perfect athletic experience in Switzerland. The atmosphere in the camp is very positive, as all the riders are busy working with the trainers with all seriousness. The team is using an intensive preparatory programme of the track race at the camp.

Hemaidi further said, “The camp in Switzerland is being held with a view to preparing the national team for the future. And I am hopeful that the camp will get the riders in perfect shape for the upcoming events and also for the next even in October, when Doha will host the show for the elite and junior cyclists.” The camp will be over on August 12.

Meanwhile, the six-member Team Doha of Abdul Basit Hannachi, Abdul Malik Madani, Azeddine Lagab and Frid Balhani (Algerians), Rafa Chitoui (Tunisian), Omar Hasanin (Syrian), is also preparing for the Perlis Open 2009 in Malaysia from July 28 to 30. The team will leave Qatar for Malaysia on July 25.

The team will also take part in Tour East Java scheduled to be held from August 8 to 10. The team has been selected by the technical staff led by Aziz Merzoug of Algeria.

Individually, while the team riders Abdul Basit Hannachi and Frid Balhani are quick at the finishing, Omar Hassanein and Azeddine Lagab have the right amount of aggression. Rafa Chitoui and Abdul Malik Madani would play important role as they have great capacity to provide resistance.

In fact, the hexagonal structure in the Doha Team is integral to the team, because the four- Madani, Chitioui, Hassanain and Lagab have the great ability to support Hannachi and Balhani towards the finish line. Hannachi has been in good form since the excellent performance in the Mediterranean Games where his team finished third in the race despite the strong presence of Italy, Spain and France.

The Doha Team also has a great chance to defend its position in the points table. Team Doha (581.66 points) is currently ahead of the Iranian team Terebez (423.50 points) but for that it is required to take more points from fewer race.

Writer : Sonia Azad