Equestrian Rider Omar Al Marzouqi and cyclist Safia Al Sayegh carried the UAE’s flag during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Friday, July 26, on the River Seine, marking a proud moment for the UAE.
Al Marzouqi won the silver medal in individual showjumping at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires in 2018. In Hangzhou, Al Marzooqi helped the UAE claim team bronze at the Asian Games, and won a silver medal in the individual competition.
The 21-year-old Al Marzouqi told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that: ‘’This historic moment represents a great motive for the Emirati athletes to deliver the best results in the competitions in order to raise the flag again on the Olympic podiums.’’
On the team’s preparations to participate in the scheduled competitions, Al Marzouqi said: “There were many gradual stages of preparation in Germany, Britain and Italy.”
The UAE’s national equestrian team is set to compete with other 20 teams in the show jumping competition which will start early August, followed by the individual competitions on 5 and 6 August with participation of 75 riders.