RIYADH, 11 June 2004 — Sydney Games bronze medalist Khalid Al Eid and Ramzi Al Duhami will represent the Kingdom in the equestrian competition of the 28th Olympic Games to be held Aug. 13 to 19 in Athens.
The two veteran riders were named to the Olympic team by the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation. Named reserves were Kamal Bahamdan, also an Olympian like Al Eid having competed in the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Games, and Adnan Baytoni.
Mansour F. Al-Maqati, a federation director and the country’s leading course designer, also told Arab News he has been selected as member of the Olympic Course Design Team.
Maqati is the first from the Arab world to be accorded such honor and recognition in the history of the Olympics.
“I will do my level best not to fail the people who had put their trust in me. It’s a great honor for me to be representing not only the Kingdom but all of the Arab world as well,” said Maqati.
Olaf Petersen, chairman International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Jumping Committee, said Maqati was selected because he has “shown at FEI seminars and FEI events that he has a great knowledge in course designing.”
Al-Maqati said the two-rider Olympic team is now deep in training in Europe where it will get further international exposure via competitions in Holland, Belgium and Germany.
Duhami, according to Al-Maqati, has just bought a new horse, Fal Khair, which he will bring to Athens, while Al Eid is still looking for one. The two riders had been in Europe over the past six months. They will travel straight to Athens for the Games opening in August.
