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We hope to attract more youngsters into the sport, says Saleh Al Hemaidi

DOHA, August 03, 2008: Fencing in Qatar is on a high, with Khalid Issa Al Hemeidi receiving a wild card for the Beijing Olympics. The 20-year-old's achievement has boosted the confidence of the Qatar Fencing Federation (QFF), which was established only in 2001.

"The process of starting from scratch was difficult. However, under QFF President Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is also Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, we gained much progress. Now, we operate six centres, each dedicated to the sport's development. Their popularity among youngsters shows that the sport is progressing in the right direction," said QFF Secretary General Saleh Amer Al Hemeidi.

Saleh Amer said despite a few initial hiccups, their endeavours took off in a big way.

"In the beginning, we had problems attracting youngsters. However, we began to concentrate on elementary schools and stayed with them as they progressed into secondary education. Now, we've a pool of 50-60 fencers in different age categories.

"We also have a strong squad of girls, who have been regularly attending camps and competitions. One should practice the sport for years before results start showing. We're patient with students and won't push them for results," he said.

Saleh Amer, however, admitted the QFF was facing a problem in retaining fencers once they reach the secondary-school level.

"Once they grow older, they pursue education overseas, thus discontinuing their fencing training. We find this to be a big problem. A few students, who went out of Qatar, are continuing their training along with studies.

"This is beneficial as they get good training and is not cut off from the sport. We're trying to convince all our outstation fencers to follow suit," he said.

The official added, "Fencing is an expensive sport and it may be one of the reasons why people keep away from it. However, once a student makes it to our team, the QFF takes care of all his expenses including kits, training camps and participation in competitions. Through these measures, we hope to attract more youngsters into the sport," he said.

Source: DSP