A brief history of Qatar athletics in the WIC

Qatar was a member of the athletics worldwide family since the beginning of the global Indoor event that was first organised by the IAAF in Paris, France under the name “World Indoor Games”. The first ever Qatari athlete who competed in the 1985 World Games, in January 18 was Faraj Marzouk , a 60 m runner who finished 5th in his heat with a time of 6.82. A few minutes later he was followed by high jumper Abdullah Al-Shieb who competed at the High Jump final (the qualification round was never held although 21 athletes took part) and after clearing 2.05 he was placed 16th.

Talal Mansour was the first Qatari athlete to offer to his country a World Indoor Championships medal. He finished third in the 60 m race in 1993 in Toronto, Canada with a time of 6.57. Mohamed Suleiman narrowly missed a medal in 1995 in Paris, France as he finished 4th in the 3000 m with a time of 7.51.73.

The last man who represented Qatar and found a way to the podium was Saif Saaeed Shaheen. The 3000 m steeplechase world record holder was second in the 3000 m race in the 2006 Moscow Indoor Championships.

James Kwalia who will represent Qatar in the Doha World Indoor Championships took a taste of a world indoor final two years ago in Valencia, where he finished 9th in the 3000 m race with a time of 8.00.44. Next year in Berlin he took the bronze medal in the 2009 World Outdoor Championships in Berlin, in the 5000 m race and recently he triumphed in the Asian Indoor Games. Who knows, maybe James Kwalia will be the next athlete to bring a World Indoors medal to the host country, that will take part in the IAAF 2010 World Indoor Championships in Doha with a record number of seven athletes in five different events.

QATARI ATHLETES THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE WIC