JEDDAH, 20 August 2007 — Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee Assistant Secretary-General Fahad Al-Athel attended the preliminary draw for some sport events in the 11th Pan Arab Games last week.
The draw is to be finalized after Sept. 7, according to Al-Athel, who has returned from Egypt. He said this was the result of countries backing out and others declaring their intent to participate in the blue-riband event to be staged in the seven Egyptian cities of Cairo, Alexandria, Asyout, Aswan, Esmaiilia, North Sinai, and Portsaiid from Nov. 11 to 25.
Underscoring their readiness for the event, Al-Athel said the Kingdom will field a full contingent of athletes and officials for the Egypt games.
“We already submitted the lineups of 550 athletes participating in 25 sports,” Al-Athel said in a telephone interview from Riyadh. He said the number is subject to slight changes as the final day for submission of lineups would be in Sept. 7.
He explained, “It is a very important event for us and probably the first time we participate with this huge number of athletes who are now in training camps locally and abroad.” He also said that these athletes are participating in tournaments and championships, which would hopefully strengthen their performance for the Arab Games. He assured the athletes are all from the first teams and would be ready technically and fit to compete when the event kicks off. Al-Athel said Egypt had prepared very well for the event. “There is no place to doubt their preparations. They have showed great generosity and high standard of organization as well as neat technicalities.”
In addition, Saudi Arabia, Al-Athel added, would participate in the side cultural events and scientific lectures. According to the president of the Supreme Organizing Committee, Hassan Saaqr, all the 22 participating countries are throwing their full support to the event where 7, 000 athletes will do battle in 33 sport disciplines.
In the first draw for football to be played in Cairo, Saudi Arabia were bracketed in Group A along with Yemen, Sudan and Egypt. Kuwait, Qatar and UAE (Group B) will play matches in Esmaiilia, and Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, and Algeria (Group C) in Alexandria, while Portsaiid hosts Syria, Lebanon and Palestine of Group D. However, according to officials at the media centre in Egypt, Group A matches will be played in Esmaiilia instead of Cairo, but the final would be in Cairo. “This would be finalized after the Sep. 7 meeting for the executive members of the event.
Ten national teams participated in the volleyball draw and the result is as follows: Group A — Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Tunisia and Qatar Group B — Egypt, Saudi, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
Saudi basketball team were drawn in Group C with Libya, UAE, Syria and Kuwait while Algeria, Lebanon, Qatar, Morocco and Tunisia comprised Group B, and Iraq, Egypt, Sudan and Jordan make up Group A.
The handball teams were divided into two groups. In Group A are Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Iraq and in Group B are Algeria, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Cairo will also host the water polo matches with only four teams confirmed to participate namely Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Kuwait and Egypt.
The Kingdom are also entered in athletics, swimming, bowling, shooting and archery, table tennis, tennis, gymnastics, judo, karate, taekwondo, boxing, wrestling, fencing, cycling, equestrian, and special needs sports (weightlifting, table tennis and athletics).
