UAE Athletics Team Finishes Seventh in Mixed Relay at Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games

The UAE national athletics team produced a competitive performance in the mixed 4×400-metre relay final, recording a time of 3:21.94, though a baton exchange incident in the latter stages prevented a potential medal finish.

The UAE national athletics team concluded its mixed 4×400-metre relay campaign in seventh place at the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, clocking a time of 3:21.94. The quartet of Suleiman Abdulrahman, Aminat Kamarudeen, Mariam Kareem and Emmanuel Bamidele had demonstrated considerable promise throughout the competition, having qualified for the final after securing third place in their heat with a time of 3:17.00, behind China and India.

The team’s medal aspirations were ultimately curtailed when Mariam Kareem dropped the baton during the race’s closing stages, an outcome that reflected the razor-thin margins often decided by technical precision in relay athletics at this level of competition.

Strong Performances Across Multiple Disciplines

The UAE’s Asian Games representation extended well beyond the athletics track. In fencing, both Khalifa Al Zarooni and Saleh Al Balooshi progressed from pool stage competition to the Round of 32 in the men’s individual épée event. Al Zarooni recorded three victories before encountering the Republic of Korea’s Jang Hyomin, losing 15-5, whilst Al Balooshi secured two wins before being defeated by Kazakhstan’s Ruslan Kurbanov by an identical scoreline. Al Zarooni reflected positively on his participation, noting that several bouts had been decided by the smallest of margins and that the experience had provided valuable technical insights for continued development.

In shooting, Ahmed Abdullah Al Ameeri and Mohammed Saleh competed in the men’s 10-metre air pistol event, with Al Ameeri scoring 566 points to finish 39th among 60 competitors, whilst Saleh placed 48th with 559 points.

Equestrian Team Ready for Competition

The UAE’s dressage contingent completed its final preparations at JRA Equestrian Park in Tokyo, with all horses successfully passing veterinary inspection and participating in a familiarisation session. The team of Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri, Bianca Schütz, Mohamed Jassim Alserkal and Natalie Lankester will represent the nation in both team and individual Small Tour events commencing on Friday.

Competing among nine nations, the UAE was positioned fifth in the team starting order, with the dressage competition beginning at 09:30 Japan Standard Time (04:30 UAE time). Friday’s programme will integrate the Team Final with the first Individual Qualifier, with team classification determined by the combined scores of each nation’s three highest-scoring combinations. The competition continues on Saturday with the second Individual Qualifier, before the top 15 combinations qualify for Sunday’s Individual Final.

Further UAE participation on Friday will include the men’s 400 metres in athletics, Mohammed Al Yamahi and Omar Al Hammadi in swimming, Mai Al Madani in weightlifting, and the esports team competing in the Fighting Games quarter-finals.

Source: WAM