(
MENAFN- Khaleej Times)
Published: Sat 27 Jul 2024, 2:41 PM
When Christina Rach, a GEMS Wellington International School student in Dubai, qualified for the Paris olympics last month, her whole family had tears in their eyes.
Perhaps, they all cried tears of joy again when Christina became the flag-bearer for Eritrea in Friday night's stunning opening ceremony.
The 16-year-old swimmer, whose mother is from Eritrea, will compete in the 50-metre freestyle event at the Paris Games.
During an interview with Khaleej Times earlier, Christina, whose father was a former German professional ice hockey player, had shared her joy of qualifying for the world's greatest sporting event.
"I feel an immense sense of pride, knowing that I will be representing my country at such a young age," she said.
"I hope to inspire a lot of young girls in the UAE and Eritrea, not only to do swimming but also other sports and make sure that they do what makes them happy and what makes them feel proud of themselves."
Apart from Christina, five other Dubai athletes are also competing at the Paris Olympics.
Tanisha Crasto will represent India in badminton, while swimmers Yazan Al Bawwab (Palestine), Muhammad Ahmed Durrani (Pakistan), Rana Saad Al Din (Sudan) and Karen Belbeisi (Jordan) will also be in action in the 2024 edition of the Summer Olympics.
Durrani, 18, who is making his Games debut, credits Dubai's wonderful facilities for the emergence of several Olympic-level swimmers.
"I would not be in this position today without Dubai and without the support I have received from all the federations, the coaches and my schools (Jumeirah Primary School and Dubai English Speaking College)," Durrani told Khaleej Times during an interview earlier.
"The UAE federations continue to host incredible competitions every year, which has given me the ideal opportunity to develop my swimming skills.
"As you know Dubai is amazing in a lot of aspects, that includes facilities for elite swimmers too.
"The world's best pool now is the Hamdan Sports Complex. I have seen some of the best pools in the world in China, Malaysia, and Singapore, but I haven't seen a pool that compares to the one at Hamdan Sports Complex."
Meanwhile, the 14-member team of Emirati athletes also raised the UAE flag at the opening ceremony on Friday night.
Equestrian rider Omar Al Marzouqi and cyclist Safiya Al Sayegh were the flag-bearers for the UAE.
Marzouqi is a silver medallist at the Asian Games last year while, Al Sayegh made history by becoming the first female Emirati cyclist to qualify for the Olympics.
ALSO READ:
'Our mums were crying': Dubai swimmers share their Olympic joy
From Palestine to Paris: Dubai-based swimmer shares his Olympic story
How does one become an Olympian? Dubai-based Pakistani swimmer has the answer
Why Tanisha Crasto returned to Dubai after qualifying for Olympics
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