Bahrain: SHAIKH NASSER BIN HAMAD NOMINATED FOR WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

BAHRAIN ROYAL EQUESTRIAN AND ENDURANCE FEDERATION (BREEF) PRESIDENT SHAIKH NASSER BIN HAMAD AL KHALIFA HAS BECOME A NOMINEE FOR THE NEXT ENDURANCE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE FEI AFTER HIS BIG WIN YESTERDAY IN THE 160KM BAHRAIN DUKERIES RACE.

SHAIKH NASSER CAME THIRD IN MAY'S RANKING. HE CAME SECOND IN THE BRITISH DUKERIES RIDE FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR. SHAIKH NASSER WAS ALMOST A WINNER AT YESTERDAY'S EVENT BUT WAS HELD BACK WHEN HIS THE HORSESHOE OF HIS HORSE GANDA KOY FELL AT THE FIFTH STAGE. THIS CAUSED HIM A 10 MINUTE DELAY. SHAIKH NASSER, THE ROYAL TEAM CAPTAIN, EXPRESSED DELIGHT TO STAND ON THE PODIUM FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR NEXT TO HIS BROTHER SHAIKH KHALID WHO CAME THIRD.
THE BIGGEST GAIN FROM THIS RACE IS THAT THE BAHRAINI TEAM, NOMINATED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2008 FEI WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP IN MALAYSIA, HAS COMPLETED ALL STAGES OF THE EVENT SUCCESSFULLY, HE SAID. THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN PREPARING THE TEAM FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP, HE NOTED. SHAIKH NASSER DESCRIBED THE RACE AS EXCITING AND SAID THAT EACH HORSERIDER HANDLED THE RESPONSIBILITY EFFICIENTLY. BAHRAINI SUCCESS IN EUROPEAN RACES WILL CONTINUE IN COMING STAGES, HE REMARKED.
SHAIKH NASSER AND SHAIKH KHALID SAID THAT THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF BAHRAINI ENDURANCE WERE A RESULT OF THE SUPPORT OF HIS MAJESTY THE KING. HIS MAJESTY'S FOLLOW-UP DURING THE RACE PUSH US TOWARDS PUTTING MORE EFFORT TOWARDS CLINCHING MORE ASSETS FOR BAHRAINI SPORT IN GENERAL, AND ENDURANCE ESPECIALLY, THEY SAID. THEY VOWED TO PUT EVEN MORE EFFORT TOWARDS MORE BAHRAINI SPORTS ACHIEVEMENTS.
MEANWHILE, SHAIKH KHALID SAW THAT COMING THIRD IN THE RACE WAS AN ENCOURAGING START FOR HIS PARTICIPATION IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS. ALTHOUGH HE WAS BUSY WITH HIS STUDIES, HE WAS KEEN ON CONTRIBUTING TO ACHIEVEMENTS THAT HONOUR THE NAME OF BAHRAIN AND HAD SUCCEEDED IN THAT UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF SHAIKH NASSER. SHAIKH KHALID EXPRESSED JOY AT THE RESULTS OF BAHRAINI JOCKEYS IN THE RACE AND AFFIRMED THAT THE COMING RESULTS WOULD BE EVEN BETTER. ROYAL TEAM JOCKEY AHMED ABDULLAH CAME FIRST IN THE 120KM PHASE OF THE BAHRAIN DUCKERIES RACE IN THE UK.
THE GUIDANCE OF SHAIKH NASSER AND SHAIKH KHALID AND THE COOPERATION OF THE TEAM WERE BEHIND THE ACHIEVEMENT, HE SAID. THE RACE WAS GOOD AND EXCITING IN ALL ITS STAGES AND WAS A GOOD BEGINNING FOR THE FIRST RACE OF THE ROYAL TEAM IN BRITAIN, HE SAID. COMMENTING ON THE RESULTS OF THE TEAM IN ITS FIRST RACE IN THE UK, THE COACH AND JOCKEY AT THE TEAM SHAIKH DUAIJ BIN SALMAN AL KHALIFA THAT THEY CAME AS A GOOD PREPARATION FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN MALAYSIA.
THE PREPARATION PROGRAMME FOR THE TEAM WILL CONTINUE FOR THE SAKE OF ACHIEVING THE BEST RESULTS UNTIL THE MALAYSIA CHAMPIONSHIP, HE SAID. NTQ/ 25-MAY-2008 23:09