Article

2004-08-17 Arabia

UAE Wins First Gold Medal in History - In SHOOTING

Geez - I hope he is on opur side
Ahmed al-Maktoum has become the first Olympic medallist from the United Arab Emirates, with gold in the shooting. He won the men's double trap with score of 189 points, equalling the current Olympic record. Maktoum is a member of Dubai's ruling family and was once the UAE's national squash champion. India's Rajyavardhan Rathore took the silver, that country's first medal of the Games, while China's Zheng Wang collected bronze.

In the double trap, competitors fire with a double-barrelled shotgun at two clay targets released simultaneously at different heights and angles. The person who hits the most targets wins. The shooter must fire just one shot at each target. Maktoum's accuracy was stunning as he made it through to the final round with a world record breaking score of 144 points, six points clear of his nearest rival. Comfortably in the lead and with the title effectively won, his concentration seemed to fail in the last round and he missed several targets, costing him the Olympic record. "I knew I had the gold medal well before the final was finished because my coach had signalled to me from the stand," he said. "My job was done, so I didn't concentrate on the final few shots." UAE National Olympic Committee head Ibrahim Abdulmalik Ahli was delighted with the result. "We entered Olympic history through the main gate," he said.
Isn't "Gentle" from the UAE? She has to be happy about this one.

Posted by BigEd 2004-08-17 11:21:59 AM|| || Front Page|| [11138 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Now if only we could figure out a way to incorporate the use of explosives in Olympic events, the arabs would be able to gild one o' them big onion domes.

Posted by BH 2004-08-17 1:55:33 PM|| 2004-08-17 1:55:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 HMMMM. An arab who can shoot straight. What will they think of next?

Posted by Anonymous6099 2004-08-17 2:11:19 PM|| 2004-08-17 2:11:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 Clay birds don't shoot back.

Posted by Steve 2004-08-17 2:35:42 PM|| 2004-08-17 2:35:42 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 This is so what I was thinking about last night as I was watching the mens gymnastics.

Where are almost all the Muslims concentrated? In the combat sports esp boxing and wrestling, in the shooting sports, and in the brute strength sports like weight lifting.

On the other hand they are completely absent from the sports that Westerners prefer in overwhelming numbers. We are most admire sports like gymnastics and swimming where the body is displayed at its most asthetically beautiful and which emphasise strength, endurance, grace, flexibility, agility and artistry in their purest physical and athletic forms. These sports also rely on a individual excellence which doesn't rely on physically overpowering someone else.

Of course the line between the two groups of sporting events aren't absolute. I'm sure the Muslim boxing fan sees art and physical beauty in the ring while on the other hand its a fact that full contact sports are extremely popular in the west. But I think that the sports preferences we see reflected in the Olympics are very instructive as to the overall differences between our two cultures. Note the breadth and depth of our sporting preferences and the narrowess and stunted quality of theirs which I feel are due entirely to their religious beliefs.

Yet more proof, I think, that Islam makes the world a much more narrow and impoverished place for those who follow it. No wonder they are so attracted to the combat sports. When physical freedom is brutally caged by backswards beliefs about the body, the only way to get relief is through violence in some form or another.

Posted by peggy 2004-08-17 3:45:25 PM|| 2004-08-17 3:45:25 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 You know something else? As I was watching the men last night, I don't think I even once thought one of them was hot. Now I am girl who loves a guy with a good upper body and normally the sight of a man with shoulders like those guys have is more than enough to raise my heart rate. Yet, I didn't think about that. All I remember thinking was that the human body is so very beautiful in a way that goes beyond the sexual. Maybe its because I am a girl and I actually have the ability to appreciate something besides sex. I also find that I am able to appreciate the beauty of the women's bodies in sport too when I normally don't take much notice at all.

My point is that there are other dimensions of the human body which most certainly exist and are entirely wholesome and which enhance society and culture. These are expressed in Western art in ballet and in Western sports like gymnastics and ice-skating. This is something that mohammed's decidedly human and puritanical mind couldn't imagine. He couldn't think outside the incredibly narrow box of his culture. The broader Western conception of the body stands as a reproof to Islam proving that mohammed had no special knowledge at all and that he was a peasant genius like so many other peasant geniuses in history unable to see beyond the horizon to see the whole picture. This of course is why they hate us and why the olympics are censored in Muslim countries. We wouldn't want to take the chance that any good obedient Muslim might just start to get a clue.

Posted by peggy 2004-08-17 4:06:41 PM|| 2004-08-17 4:06:41 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 ps.

i wrote

"Maybe its because I am a girl and I actually have the ability to appreciate something besides sex." and I forgot to indicate that I am kidding about this statement.

If I really thought that men couldn't possibly appreciate women for anything except sex unless they were in a burka then I'd be a moooslim.

I know that sex is still your predominant thought, but I give you guys credit for having other thoughts on occasion ;) and for being able to control yourselves like civilized adults in the presence of women.

Posted by peggy 2004-08-17 5:18:24 PM|| 2004-08-17 5:18:24 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Peggy...interesting post. You might find it of interest to discover that the Romans would take their families to the Colliseum to see people eaten alive (all good fun, ya see) ...but not to watch men run naked in the Olympics! That was not something a "family" could watch...might scar the children.

Posted by B 2004-08-17 5:34:17 PM|| 2004-08-17 5:34:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Peggy and Steve.. I see you hate Muslim and Islam or maybe just ignorant aboyt it? not (all) muslims are crimenal or just like body sport not even lazy asses, don't generalize, acknowledge that Arab countries have got people from different religions how lives in peace as citezins and can participate in all national events in equality. No doubt!! And both of you Know it dam well.. Arab are smart strong and tough in faith, sport, science, art, and other stuff, as any nation in this world when it get the right chance cos we have solid roots glorious history and and most strong beliefe in god not in devil as it looks from your queries, of course superpower countries are making arab life in some regions like "hell!!" pushing them to seek death for better life!! But not all of the muslims are that desperate or negative, Muslims are more than billion most in third world ruled by selfish leaders that govern them for life with no human rights! Why? Simply they are not following the right way which is in the soul of Islam before we have to import it from the west, why don't you focos at UAE achevment only.. say good or shut up!? this small country? why you have to give it that wide dimention, I don't get it! ..In gulf countries individual sport can achieve better cos they are little but rich, other country with big population like Egypt gained golden medal in gymnastic games, you shouldnât speak in such discriminated way. We all human with the same blood color and god, you free how you worship god, stop mocking at people, What's with the SEX issue? arent you human too? or you prefer living like animals? where is wildness and no shame, If you have faith in god you should follow what he Command or Banns? , i am sure you'll change alot of your Ideas about it and please don't compare Islam to it's people often cos people don't followed their religion all the time. But Islam encourages women and men to do sport; we have many examples from history,you Finally.. The western can Arabic Muslim or black or Chinese You should compare things that are equivalents. Islam with Christianity and west with east, Right?

Posted by Emarati 2004-09-11 7:46:29 PM|| [http://www.interprof.8m.com] 2004-09-11 7:46:29 PM|| Front Page Top

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