Top UAE table tennis star faces uncertain future

UAE’s top table tennis player Rashid Abdul Hamid Omar has been hailed as a world-class talent but is uncertain of where his career is heading although he has dreams of playing  in the 2012 Olympic Games.

Omar kept UAE’s flag fluttering proudly in the World Team Cup Classic winning five of his six matches despite the host nation failing to win a single tie in the Intercontinental Group featuring Canada, Nigeria and Australia.

The performance of 22 year-old Omar was a redeeming factor for the UAE Table Tennis Association’s plans to revitalise the sport by attracting the world’s biggest names to compete in a high profile event at Al Nasr Club’s Rashid bin Hamdan Hall.

However, Omar’s lone triumph against odds has raised more questions than answers on the future of the sport in the country with the player himself not sure whether he would be playing in the next tournament.

“We have the Arab qualification next year but will I be playing till then, I don’t know really. The situation that is happening now in the UAE in the sport scene, it’s kind of difficult to judge the future,” said Omar who is keen to participate at the forthcoming Asian Games and also bring glory to the country in GCC and Arab club competitions.

“My plans are according to coach and federation plans. For three years since we were a senior team we have failed in the GCC and Arab competitions. I hope next year in the GCC events we will succeed with more gold medals. We got the doubles last year which I’m happy but we need the team event,” he said.

He was hopeful that with the new strategy of having a South Korean coach Park Ji, they would succeed in winning the elusive team gold medal at the GCC event.

“When we were juniors we had the best results. When we became senior something happened and we became separated. So the coach is now trying to get all UAE players that were in the juniors to form a senior team,” he said.

Omar may be at the peak of his career but is in a quandary whether to accept the offer to train in two clubs in South Korea. “It is an honour for me to have such high level teams willing to host me. Will I be going, that’s the question,” replied Omar.

Asked why he was not grabbing this golden opportunity which would enhance his playing career, Omar said: “I cannot decide that because I also have my personal life. I need sponsors to support me. What do I do with my life here. If anybody is ready to provide for my life, I’m ready 100 per cent to train in Korea.”

He also cocked a snook at critics who felt that he was past his best. “People were talking about me that my level went down in the UAE. But I didn’t care. In the Arab championship I played 12 games, won 11 and lost one. Even against Egypt the best team won.

Here again (World Team Cup Classic) I played six won five. I have answered all those people who have talked about me,” said the outspoken player.

Omar was confident of qualifying for the Olympics through the Arab championships. “Nothing is impossible. I’m not playing against Korea or China. May be I’m even better technically than them. The only thing is I lack is match practice with top level players,” he said.

“That’s the problem with me and my players. These are reasons that can affect a team. One player can affect the whole group. I don’t blame federation, that’s the system in UAE,” said Omar in defence of his team mates who could not commit fully for training either because of work or study.

But he was proud of their performance despite the limitations. “Everybody did their best for sure. You cannot change the level overnight,” he said pointing out that regular practice and mental toughness are essential ingredients to progressively climb up the ladder of success.

On the positive side, he was happy they had a team now. “For every tournament we used to go with same team. But now there are five of us or may be eight in future,” he said optimistically.
 

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