UAE swimmer Yaqoub Al Saadi happy to bloom in Al Ain pool

Winner of three gold medals at the National Winter Tournament credits his and other Emirati swimmers’ rise to the coaching staff and the better facilities available to them.

Yaqoub Al Saadi of Al Ain competes in the 400-metre medley at Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai. Satish Kumar / The National

DUBAI // Yaqoub Al Saadi wrapped himself in the banner of his club, Al Ain, as he stood on the podium for the third time.

The Emirati swimmer, 18, had just received the last of three gold medals at the National Winter Tournament at Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai last weekend.

He won the 200-metre backstroke, the individual medley and relay and was voted the competition’s best swimmer, a success he says he owes to Al Ain, the country’s leading club in the sport.

“I’ve been at Al Ain for six years, and I live there,” Al Saadi said. “That’s where I do most of my training, but recently we’ve been training with the national team twice a day. Once before school at 5am, and once after at 5pm.”

The tournament gives the UAE Swimming Federation a chance to finalise the national squads of all ages, which Al Saadi has represented for four years now.

“I’ve been in GCC competitions and Arab championships,” he said. “We’ve had good results. I always enter three races. My specialty is backstroke in the 50m, 100m, 200m.”

He also took three golds at the GCC Swimming Championship in Dubai at the start of the year, and he recently swam in competitions in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Al Saadi credits his and other Emirati swimmers’ rise to the coaching staff and the better facilities available to them.

“There’s been a big improvement with training,” he said, naming assistant coach Mohammed Zanaty.

“Hamdan Sports Complex is a world-class facility. It helps us a lot to train here. When we have a national team training camp, this is were we train.”

The team goes to Hungary on Sunday for a 10-day preparation camp. Later comes training for the Gulf Games in October.

That is not the extent of Al Saadi’s horizons, though.

“My ambition is to be an a Arab champion,” he said. “My parents have really supported me. They are always present at every competition.”

One of those who have overseen Al Saadi’s progress says he can achieve his goals.

“Yaqoub is a talented swimmer, a champion,” said Sharif Zakaria, coach of Al Ain Juniors. “He is capable of taking on new challenges. He needs to keep looking after himself, putting in maximum effort and eating right.”

The weekend’s other big winner was Mubarak Al Besher of Al Wasl, who won silver in the 200m medley and golds in the breaststroke at 50m, 100m and 200m.

He won two bronze medals for the national team in Arab competition and four golds at the GCC level in 2014.

Al Besher, 26, has been swimming competitively since the age of 10 and has set his sights on more regional success this year: at the GCC Swimming Championships in September, the GCC Games in October and the Arab Championship in December.

As one of the UAE’s more experienced competitors, he has a warning for younger swimmers.

“We have some good swimmers for the national team,” he said. “But we need the swimmers themselves to show total dedication. That’s what will make the difference in the Gulf competitions.

“The coaches have been working very hard, but at the moment we have an assistant coach with the national team. Hopefully, we will have a full coaching staff soon.”

Zakaria says it is up to clubs such as Al Ain and Wasl to prepare swimmers for the national squads.

“We have taken firm steps to provide the best platform for the juniors, to increase the number of swimmers at all levels,” said the Egyptian, who has been at Al Ain for two years.

“Every year we promote a few swimmers who can represent at the club level, and then if they are good enough they can compete for the national team at different age groups.”

Al Saadi may be fortunate in the support he receives from his family, but Zakaria says that far more backing at this level is needed if UAE swimming is to thrive.

“This what we need more of, support from the parents,” he said. “At the moment, this is not there in a way that can really make a difference.

“This is important to improve swimming at club level and national level. You saw in this competition that not many parents are present, and that has a negative effect. If that changes, it will improve motivation.”

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