JEDDAH, 25 April 2008 — The Tashkandi brothers Loai, 17, and Hazem, 16, and Nezar, 14, belong to a new generation of swimmers being touted as Saudi Arabia’s brightest hopes for recognition on the world stage. They are so good and yet so young that they could even surpass the achievements of erstwhile Saudi swimming star Ahmed Al-Kudmani.
Kudmani retired in November after winning the 50-meter breastroke silver medal in the 11th Pan-Arab Games, leaving behind a legacy that the trio hopes to continue.
Between them the swimming siblings have won victories in local and international competitions. Next up for the trio, as they try to further build their credentials, is the 8th GCC Open Water Championship starting today in Doha, Qatar.
In addition to Tashkandi brothers the Saudi national swimming team includes Nather Al-Hamdoud, Mohammed Al-Ghareeb, Mohammed Al-Yousif, Mousa Al-Mousa, and Moustafa Al-Yousif. The team had undergone five days training camp in the Eastern Province to prepare for the competition.
To make swimming popular in the Kingdom especially among the youth the brothers suggested the Youth Welfare-run swimming pools be open for the youth for longer hours instead of limiting their availability to the national team players.
According to Hazem, “ We wish they would encourage more people to get into swimming and not only during the summer. It is unfair to kick people out from the Youth Welfare swimming pools and make them for exclusive use of the national team players.”
“ I wish I could also have the chance to train before school and that the swimming pools would open at early times because we need more trainings.”
Though the Kingdom organizes many local championships, Hazem said “the excitement of winning a local championship is no longer there. There is no one special and that is why we are not so happy about it or excited when one kicks off.”
Their passion in swimming they explained started when at the ages of 6 and 5 their father took them to the club and the coach praised their discipline and developing skills. At 9 Loai was already competing with the national team and Hazem followed a year later. From Al-Ahli club, where they started, the trio moved to Al-Ittihad, but lack of recognition and support for the sport in the clubs forced them to leave both and settle with the national team.
Two years ago Loai got a scholarship to study for a year in Riyadh in order for him to train with Ukrainian coach Alex Brodai. While he trained there the coach used to send training modules to the brothers’ father for the benefit of Hazem and Nezar until the new coach comes. Yuri Ryltsive, who specializes in long distance races, then came and took them under his wing. They train under him daily from 4 to 7 p.m.
Loai’s best time was 4:49.44 in the 400 meters and Hazem’s was 4:54,56 seconds. Since 2001 Loai and Hazem both have been winning titles in their specialty events in the GCC Swimming Championships.
They also had won several gold and silver medals in the 2007 Arab Swimming Championship.
Hazem says he enjoys the open sea competitions and how the athletes swim freely because it is less monitored. Loai isn’t as excited. “It is very scary and I try to avoid it even if with a group. You never know what comes from down below,” he said.
The brothers look up to Al-Kudmani as a role model, noting how Al-Kudmani benefited from training while studying abroad and how he represented the country abroad with improved performance each time.
It is with this inspiration that Loai said, “We would be more than honored to represent our country.”
Of their future plans, Loai said, “The Olympics is our goal now.” “And we look forward to work on this goal during these four years and to hopefully bring honor to our country,” said Loai.
Meanwhile, the brothers returned home last week from Manchester, England where they participated in the 9th FINA World Swimming Championships for youth under 18. Loai broke the national record in the 50-meter breaststroke when he clocked 29.92 seconds.
In this tournament, Hazem did better than his older brother Loai in the 100-m freestyle. Loai, however, outshone his younger sibling in the 200 freestyle and 50 breaststroke.
