LONDON: Saudi long jumpers Hussain Al-Saba and Mohammad Al-Khuwaildi placed second and fourth in the 2008 world rankings released by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
The Saudi Arabic press had earlier wrongly reported that Al-Saba, 30, placed sixth in the rankings.
“It was a bit disappointing,” Al-Saba said in an interview from Jeddah, after some sports journalists published the top 50 competitors list which keeps changing vis-a-vis the 2008 world ranking list.
It makes a difference because the world ranking is based on all our participation during 2008, while the top list is not, said Al-Saba who was the only Saudi to win three consecutive competitions in the Athletics Golden League in 2008 with the best record of 8.38 meters secured in Zürich Weltklasse, Switzerland in August. Al-Saba said, “It was not an easy year. It was full of international and very important competitions such as the Olympics.”
Both athletes had competed in more than six competitions abroad together in 2008 and usually follow each other in rankings, “but still Al-Khuwaildi is a dear brother,” said Al-Saba. When asked if it was hard to compete in the world top list with another Saudi athlete, Al-Khuwaildi said, “What matters is that a Saudi athlete makes it to the top list and makes Saudi Arabia proud.”
Commenting on his participation in the Beijing Olympics Al-Khuwaildi said, “You prepare and train very well but sometimes it’s just not in your hand. “He then added, “ Sometimes you lose focus with the pressure and excitement. I was not happy with what I did but I’ll work hard to make it up in the 2010 Olympics.”
Al-Khuwaildi had qualified for the Olympics thrice but was unsuccessful each time. He got injured a few days before the first two kicked off, and failed in the third. This did not put him down, and he is more determined to work hard for the 2010 Olympics to be held in London, UK.
“It was always my goal to make my country proud and I would not quit before achieving that!” said Al-Khuwaildi with an explicit tone.
Al-Khuwaildi’s passion in athletics drives him to excel in it, but at the same time loving his work requires sacrifices participating and training properly. Otherwise, he would lose his job, or privileges his colleagues get because of the days he requests to train. It is a hard choice to make he said because it is his future.
According to his Algerian coach, Masoud Bouhouche, this made Al-Khuwaildi’s performance downgraded in these two past years. His best recent effort was 8.37 meters during the Saudi Athletics League in Riyadh in April 2008. However, his best personal record is 8.48 meters, which was achieved in Sotteville, France in July 2006.
“He has the ability and skill to give more and perform better in athletics I’m definite but the psychological pressure he had been dealing with because of ARAMCO, the oil company where he works continue to make it hard for him to progress.” He needs more time to train but the company would not allow him to do so.
Besides looking forward to the 2010 Olympics, Al-Saba and Al-Khuwaildi will start preparing themselves for the 2009 IAAF World Championship to be held in Berlin, Germany in August, and the 2nd Islamic Solidarity Games to be held in Iran in October.
