NAGOYA, 24th September, 2026 (WAM) — The UAE national athletics team finished seventh in the mixed 4×400-metre relay final at the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, recording a time of 3:21.94.
The team had been in contention for a medal before Mariam Kareem dropped the baton during the latter stages of the race.
The UAE had qualified for the final after finishing third in its heat in 3:17.00, behind China and India. The team comprised Suleiman Abdulrahman, Aminat Kamarudeen, Mariam Kareem and Emmanuel Bamidele.
In fencing, Khalifa Al Zarooni and Saleh Al Balooshi advanced from the pool stage to the Round of 32 in the men’s individual épée.
Al Zarooni recorded three victories before losing 15-5 to the Republic of Korea’s Jang Hyomin, while Al Balooshi secured two wins before being defeated 15-5 by Kazakhstan’s Ruslan Kurbanov.
Al Zarooni described his participation as positive, saying several bouts were decided by a single touch and provided valuable experience that helped identify technical areas requiring further development.
In shooting, Ahmed Abdullah Al Ameeri scored 566 points in the men’s 10-metre air pistol event to finish 39th among 60 competitors, while Mohammed Saleh placed 48th with 559 points.
The UAE dressage team completed its final preparations after its horses passed veterinary inspection and took part in a familiarisation session at JRA Equestrian Park in Tokyo.
The UAE will be represented by Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri, Bianca Schütz, Mohamed Jassim Alserkal and Natalie Lankester in the team and individual Small Tour events, which begin on Friday.
UAE participation will also continue on Friday with the men’s 400 metres in athletics, Mohammed Al Yamahi and Omar Al Hammadi in swimming, Mai Al Madani in weightlifting, and the esports team in the Fighting Games quarter-finals.
The UAE will be among nine nations contesting the dressage team competition, with 45 horse-and-rider combinations expected across the team and individual events. Following the official draw, the UAE was placed fifth in the team starting order, with competition beginning at 09:30 Japan Standard Time, or 04:30 UAE time.
Friday’s programme will combine the Team Final with the first Individual Qualifier, with the team classification determined by the combined scores of each nation’s three highest-scoring combinations. The dressage competition continues on Saturday with the second Individual Qualifier, before the top 15 combinations advance to Sunday’s Individual Final.
Source: Emirates News Agency