JEDDAH, 23 February 2007 — Maki Al-Mubiareek who? The name might not ring a bell in the Kingdom but outside the country it enjoys some degree of popularity. Ironic as it may seem such is the case of some Saudi athletes whose achievements in their chosen sport are underappreciated by their very own people.
Gymnast Al-Mubiareek is one such athlete.
Either because there is not enough media exposure or its growth is painfully slow that gymnastics sounds Greek to majority of the Saudis despite the fact that it’s been here for more than 40 years.
That is why it pains Al-Mubiareek, 25, every time he hears people say a Saudi in gymnastics, that is indeed something new! Ever the sportsman Al-Mubiareek pontificates about gymnatics to anyone who cares to listen.
“I have been in the game for like 10 years, but Arab, Gulf countries and the world knows about me more than my country,” he says.
Al-Mubiareek then rattles off his credentials during the phone interview from Hafr Al-Batin where he works as a PE teacher for elementary students.
Al-Mubiareek did the World Cup four times. The first time was in 1999 in China where he placed second to last in a field of 400, the following year in Belgium he finished 200th, in Germany in 2002 he took the 18th position, and finally in 2005 in Belgium he improved to 9th at vault event.
Back home none seemed to notice his exploits let alone his steady progress in the discipline. “No congratulations and nothing was mentioned here. For the first time I wished I placed last,” says Al-Mubiareek.
According to the system at the federation, if he was 8th placer he would get SR50,000, “but I was 9th and I got nothing,” he adds. However after the last accomplishment he said he was surprised that his progress was appreciated by the American Gymnastics Federation in a letter of congratulations to the Saudi federation.
The 5-foot-4, 134.4 pounds gymnast said was influenced into taking up gymnastics by his elder brother Ismael who used to practice it as a hobby. The first time Al-Mubiareek attended a practice session he had this feeling that these people are crazy spending their time jumping from one place to another. It was hard to convince him to get back until the brother said “I’d give you French fries.” “That was tempting for me as a young child of nine and I could not say no!,” Al-Mubiareek recalls with fondness.
The inducement later included Pepsi. He became drawn to the sport and enjoyed himself doing floor exercises, parallel bars and pommel horse.
His brothers Ismael and Zaki were very proud of him whenever he masters a move. “I could not resist it, I became fond of it,” he said.
Al-Mubiareek saw action at the 1995 Arab Youth Championship in Jordan where he won bronze in the floor exercise.
The medals keep flowing as Al-Mubiareek began to build his reputation in the Gulf and Arab levels.
At the Arab Championship in Jordan in 1996 he placed second in the vault. In the 1st West Asian Games which Iran hosted in 1999 he clinched his first-ever gold in the vault to with the floor exercise bronze medal. In Iran in 2001 during the International Fajr Championship Al-Mubiareek received the silver medal (vault). At the 2nd West Asian Games held in Kuwait in 2002 he won gold (vault) and bronze (floor exercise).
The 2004 3rd Gulf Championship in Qatar was the defining moment in his career as he brought home six medals in various disciplines. At the Rajiv Gandhi International Tournament he placed 1st at (vault) and 2nd at (still rings) in India in 2005, and in the same year at the Cyprus International Championship he won bronze (vault), in addition to two bronze (vault and floor exercise) at the 3rd West Asian Championship in Qatar.
In Kuwait in 2006 he participated at the Arab Championship at the Martyr Fahd Ahmed Al-Sabah Cup and won two bronze medals (vault and still rings). In Riyadh’s Gulf Cup in 2006 he clinched gold (still rings), silver (floor exercise), bronze (all disciplines) and bronze (still rings).
During Doha Asian Games last December he was ranked seventh and was the only Arab to reach the vault final.
“I am sure I could have done better and I was supposed to train for 6 months but I did not know I could leave work and train until two months before the games kicked off,” he said.
He was the undisputed champion at the Saudi leagues from 1991 to 2003 but had to stop competing when training camps and competitions abroad got in the way.
Unfortunately there are not many Saudi competitors. He explains we have national team, then boys at the age of 12. “But we do not have youth team.”
He noted that if the same lukewarm support continues, there will be no future for gymnastics and the game will die a natural death. “We only have Al-Ibtisam Club in the Eastern Province and Al-Ittihad in the Western Province. While China has 150 or more athletes, he said, here the total of the Kingdom’s gymnats may be less than 20.
Al-Mubiareek said he can not deny and appreciates the federation sending him to China annually for two moths training and making him the captain of the national team.
In addition, of course, to being trained by the national team coach, the Armenian Edward Jian who is always generous in offering him tips to make him a better gymnast.
His mother had been always a great supporter. He took his mother once to the club to watch him train.
“I had to ask my friends of course to wear the longer shorts out of respect and she was really happy to watch me and I was happy she was there for me, for once.”
Of his job, Al-Mubiareek said it was his passion from the beginning that is why he found specializing in sport fitness the only appealing field to him. Now he enjoys training the young students who welcomes it very enthusiastically. “No one of course knew about gymnastics here but when I started telling them and they saw me on TV they became very excited to train,” he said.
He had wished he could be transferred but all his attempts failed. Any place he said would be fine with him as long as he is near the coach and can have his decent hours of training like the professional athletes.
“Because I can not do that here,” he said. He also wished he could get his masters degree in physiotherapy and looks for the right opportunity where he could balance his studies and training.
“I saw death twice in Gymnastics because of our moves, but it teaches you a moral of life that failure is the starting point to success,” he said. Gymnastics is a beautiful game that incorporates fitness, strength and flexibility which is hard to find all combined in another game. Hence, for the gymnasts it is easy for them to participate and find themselves fit, flexible and creative in other games.
He enjoys watching Romanian gymnast Marian Dragulescu yet he is looking forward to become even better than him.
Loyal to flag and country, Al-Mubiareek resisted offers of citizenship from other countries for him to join their national team as his star continues to rise because of his many achievements.
“I can’t imagine myself wearing something other than our green national team Jerseys and playing against my team and losing my Saudi identity. It just did not make sense to me so I dropped it!,” according to Al-Mubiareek.
He said if he got a chance to train with champions without letting go of his nationality he would welcome it with wide open arms, but other than that no way.
