UAE Athletics Team Advances to Men’s 400m Final at Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games
Emmanuel Bamidele secured the fastest qualifying time across all heats with an impressive 45.76-second performance, while teammate Suleiman Abdulrahman won his heat to earn both athletes a place in the final.
The UAE national athletics team has delivered a noteworthy performance at the Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026, with two competitors progressing to the men’s 400m final following compelling displays in the heats.
Emmanuel Bamidele emerged as the standout performer, clocking 45.76 seconds to record the fastest time across all three heats and secure his advancement to the final. His teammate Suleiman Abdulrahman also qualified impressively, winning his individual heat with a time of 45.89 seconds, demonstrating the strength of the UAE’s distance-running contingent at the Games.
Alongside the athletics achievements, the UAE’s broader sporting delegation has continued its multifaceted campaign across numerous disciplines. The national shooting team of Ghaya Shuhail and Mohammed Saleh competed in the 10m air pistol mixed team qualification round, combining for 560 points—with Shuhail contributing 276 points and Saleh 284—to finish 18th in a highly competitive field.
In equestrian competition, the UAE dressage team secured sixth place overall in the team final, accumulating 197.442 points across nine nations and 45 horse-and-rider combinations. Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri achieved the UAE’s highest individual score of 67.030%, also recording an international personal best at Prix St-Georges level whilst riding Lotus-S. Bianca Schütz, Mohamed Jassim Alserkal and Natalie Lankester completed the team, scoring 66.647%, 63.765% and 60.824% respectively.
The weightlifting programme saw Bashayer Al Ahbabi lift a total of 110kg in the women’s 57kg category, whilst Mai Al Madani recorded 159kg in the women’s 61kg category to finish second in Group Two. The swimming team concluded its participation with Mohammed Al Yamahi and Omar Al Hammadi competing across backstroke and breaststroke events respectively.
Reflecting the UAE leadership’s commitment to sporting excellence, a high-level delegation visited the national jiu-jitsu team’s training camp in Tokyo. The visit, led by Shihab Ahmed Mohamed Abdulrahim AlFaheem, UAE Ambassador to Japan, and including Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary General of the UAE Olympic Committee, reviewed the team’s preparations and training progress ahead of competition, reaffirming institutional support for continued athletic development.
Source: WAM