Barshim Propels Qatar's Hope at Samsung Diamond League

Doha, April 12 (QNA) - High jump specialist Mutaz Essa Barshim will propel Qatar's medal hopes at the 2011 Samsung Diamond League (SDL) that is set to showcase world's top athletes in Doha next month. The 14-meeting series opens May 6 in Doha.
The high jump event will be one of the highlights with the 19-year-old Barshim, who holds Qatar's national record (2.31 metres), expected to give stiff challenge to an international field featuring Russian ace Andrey Silnov, the 2008 Olympic champion.
Qatari fans will hope the talented athlete upstages the Russian. This is not wishful thinking. The youngster has the credentials to back his claim. He is the 2010 World junior champion and 2010 Asian Games champion.
Barshim is ready for the challenge. "I we will try to do my best. It is good to be part of a big event and competing among many star athletes," he said.
Barshim's compatriot Rashid Ahmed Al Mannai is not too far behind. The 2010 VTB Bank Continental Cup winner will strengthen Qatar's campaign in the high jump event.
Al Mannai feels competing with international champions will spur Qatari athletes to greater heights. "Our participation at the SDL in Doha will allow us to compete against great champions and we will help us improve," he said.
Among the international stars to feature in the SDL, are Frenchman Teddy Tamgho who came into the limelight when he set a world indoor record of 17.90 metres here at the Aspire Dome to win the triple jump event at the IAAF World Indoor Championships last year.
The list of high-ranking athletes includes Thorkildsen, Norway's two-time Olympic champion javelin thrower. Thorkildsen returns to Doha after four consecutive appearances from 2006 to 2009. The current European, World and Olympic champion holds the meeting record with a 90.13m throw back in 2006, when he beat the legendary Jan Zelezny.
Another star athlete is Allyson Felix, the three-time World 200m champion, opened her 2010 SDL season in Doha with a victory in the 400m, and later went on to win both the 200m and 400m SDLTrophies.
This edition also features 100m hurdles ace Lolo Jones, the two-time World indoor champion over the 60m Hurdles barriers, and Walter Dix, the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist in both the 100 and 200m.
Felix and Thorkildsen have happy memories of competing in Qatar.
"Doha is a special place for me," said Felix. "The warm weather and the warmth of people are the two main reasons that make me come back every year. Doha is always a nice place to start up the season. I am training for a double (200 - 400m) at the World Championships," she said.
Thorkildsen, who surpassed for the first time in his career the 90m mark in Doha in 2006, reiterated the benefits of competing at a warm place like Doha.
"Doha's SDL is a great meeting to start the season. With temperatures around 30 degrees, the risk of injury is minimised. They have a decent size stadium and with a good tail wind. I could achieve one of my best throws of the year in Doha."
President of the Qatar Association of Athletics Federation (QAAF) and Chairman of the Organising Committee of the SDL Doha 2011 Abdulla Ahmed Al Zaini reaffirmed Qatar's growing importance as the hub for international sports events in the region.
"The benefits in organising the SDL in Doha are tangible," said Al Zaini. "More people are now interesting in Athletics. Events such as the SDL Doha 2011 will send a strong message that Qatar has the ability and capacity to organise the World Championships in Athletics here in Doha."
President Al Zaini also underlined the difficulties that might unexpectedly occur at the Doha meeting, as the first of a series, but he pointed out that Qatar is ready and well prepared to overcome any future obstacle. The president said Qatar would host the best athletes from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain. (END)