Kuwait City, Kuwait, June 4, 2022: For Yemeni athletics coaching duo Samer Saleh Al-Yafaee and Ali Nasser Al-Ashmali, the biggest challenge they will confront is when they get back home – whom to impart all the knowledge they learn at the ongoing OCA development programme.
“Our country is having a lot of problems and anyone who gets the opportunity to go abroad leaves. It is the same in athletics, there are a very small number of athletes, most of the others have left for other countries in the region, especially to Qatar where they run for clubs,” reveals Samer.
“But we are thankful to the Olympic Council of Asia for inviting Yemen and athletics to this programme. What we learn, we will take back home and try and spread the message,” Samer added.
Samer and Ali both hail from Dhamar in south-western Yemen, which they proudly say is the cradle of athletics in the country. The city which is at an elevation of 2,400 metres, is also home of the country’s most notable athlete, Nabil Mohammed Al-Garbi, a long-distance runner who represented Yemen at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou and the 2012 London Olympics.
“As we are at altitude, the conditions help in the development of athletes. Before I became a coach, I was a runner, in the 800 metres and 1,500, while my friend Ali was a long jump specialist. Although we have retired, we are still trying to learn new skills so that we can help younger athletes,” Samer said.
The pair is among 24 athletic coaches from 12 NOCs in West Asia participating in the OCA Phase Three Development Programme.
“We hope to learn as much as we can,” Ali added.