DOHA, 14 December 2006 — Saudi karate brothers Thamer and Imad Al-Malki, said the fledgling sport of karate in the Kingdom needs to have support from the Youth Welfare and media for it to grow.
“We have many talented athletes but they need those who can support them,” said Thamer, 19.
The brothers admire their Algerian coach at Al-Hilal without whose efforts they would not have reached the Asian Games. But more clubs need to take in new talented karate players and train them so we can have a high level of competition and performance, chorused Thamer and Imad.
Thamer, who won the bronze medal in the men’s kumite 55kg 1/8 final on Tuesday, told Arab News he was very happy with the bronze though they expected a gold medal and worked hard for it. However, he lamented the fact that the playing venue was almost empty and not one Saudi fan came to give support.
He said fan support is very crucial in sport in that it inspires you and helps you improve yourself.
Thamer said seeing a great performance during this competition especially from the Asian champions is part of the learning experience. The training they had for 45 days in Egypt and Riyadh in preparation for this Games was very useful, he added.
The Asiad bronze was one achievement that Thamer cherished the most among other awards he won in past championships.
“I got into karate through Al-Hilal club and made it to the national team via the tough selection process,” he said.
“We love the game and that is why we play it and we look forward to deliver an even better performance in the upcoming championships,” said Thamer.
Imad had prepared and got training from the Iranian national team coach along with the rest of the team but then he failed to meet the minimum age requirement of 18 and was unable to participate at this Games.
The brothers have participated in some 40 local and international events since they joined the national team in 2002.
Thamer competed at an international tournament in Singapore but wasn’t lucky to win. This early, Thamer is looking forward to the next Asian Games in China and so is Imad.
The brothers emphasized “We have the players and skills, but we need more support especially from the media. Without the media giving us attention like they do with football and other sports, the future of karate won’t be very bright.”
