UAE’s Alia wins 10,000m gold in Asian Games

UAE's Alia Saeed Mohammed celebrates after victory in the final of the women's 10,000m athletics. -AFP

Emirati super star Alia Saeed Mohammed, the Asian Athletics Championships champion, won the gruelling 10,000m women’s final to give the country the first gold medal at the Asian Games in Incheonon Saturday.

Her outstanding performance of 31min 51 sec and 86 sec which is among the top finishing times in the world this year, was only less than 10 seconds off the Asian Games all time meet record.

UAE Athletics federation chiefAhmad Al Kamali, had said: “Alia is and will always be a main medal hope for the UAE.”

At last year’s Asian Athletics Championships in India, the UAE’s Bethlem Desaleyn won gold medals at 1,500m and 5,000m, while Alia Saeed claimed gold in the 10,000m.

“We hope they get to the final of the 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m,” said Al Kamali, a former distance runner and coach, before the Asiad.

moni@khaleejtimes.com