Oman Sail’s Hussain al Jabri wins gold in Singapore

by OmanObserver.com on 19 Jun 2012 Oman’s plans to qualify for the Olympic Games in 2020 are firmly on track after Omani sailor Hussain al Jabri won the gold medal at the Singapore Laser Trophy in Singapore yesterday. The 23 year-old sailor, from Yiti just outside Muscat is a member of the Oman Sail Laser squad and although he has only been sailing for a year, recorded seven outright wins to record an emphatic title victory in the Laser Standard class by nine points at his first major event.

Mark ‘Corky’ Rhodes Oman Sail’s head national dinghy coach said: 'We were looking for a top three position so for Hussain al Jabri to get the top position is something we are all very proud of.' 'It was a colossal win. He was the fastest boat out on the water and used clever tactics to keep rival sailors close to open up any opportunities to overtake due to his speed. He used that to his advantage so it’s a nice confidence booster for him.'

Hussain al Jabri, who finished second at Mussanah race week in March, will now start preparing for his next events to be held in Germany in July. The Laser Europa Cup is likely to attract a field of around 200 Laser sailors. Al Jabri will also be preparing for a major upcoming regional even in the second GCC Beach Games in Saudi Arabia in November. But the focus will also be on qualifying for the Olympic Games in 2020. '2020 is our main goal with these guys,' said Rhodes.

'Hussain al Jabri is very self motivated. In a few months, he has showed that he is embracing everything he needs to do as an athlete to reach the top. This is a demonstration of that. 'He has been consistent and professional so it is easily possible to focus all his attentions on a pathway to the Olympics.' Despite suffering a back injury, Oman Sail’s Haitham al Wahaibi also came fifth in the 14 strong fleet to signify another excellent week for Omani dinghy sailing in international competition.

'It stamps our authority within Asia and shows that Oman is not just an up and coming nation. We are here to compete,' stressed Rhodes. After celebrating his win, Hussein al Jabri commented: 'This is a great moment for me. This win is the result of countless hours of intensive training.’’ ‘‘The key element was to go in line with the coaches direction and avoid any major mistakes.

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