Mutaz Essa Barshim after winning the mens’ high jump during the 2018 Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field on May 26, 2018 in Eugene, Oregon. Craig Mitchelldyer / Getty Images/AFP
The 2017 World Athlete of the Year Mutaz Essa Barshim and one-lap sprinter Abderrahman Samba will lead the home charge for medals at the IAAF World Championships which begin next week.
Entry lists for the Doha Worlds, released by the IAAF yesterday, revealed that Qatar will be represented by Barshim and Samba in a squad of 16 male and two female athletes.
Barshim, the reigning world champion and two-time Olympic medallist, has successfully returned to action following a year-long injury lay-off.
The unfortunate injury occurred during an attempt on a would-be world record of 2.46m in Szekesfehervar last year.
Barshim resumed training in April before making a roaring return to action, leaping to 2.27m to win at Sopot Grand Prix Athletics in Sopot, Poland, in June.
Meanwhile, Samba, who last year set an Asian 400m hurdles record of 46.98, will be up against a stellar line-up in his pet event.
Samba, the world leader in the one-lap hurdles event last year, and third fastest runner in the history of men’s 400m hurdles, will also compete in the 400m event along with Asian Games gold medallist Abdalelah Haroun apart from the 4x400m relay.
The relay team, which is currently the best in Asia, also includes Mohamed Nasir Abbas, Bassem Hemeida, Femi Ogunode and Ashraf Hussen Osman, with the final four runners yet to be announced.
Young sprinter Owaab Barrow will be in action in the 100 metres dash and he will join Yaqoob Al Hasani, Mahamat Zakaria Khalid, Abdelaziz Mohamed, Femi Ogunode and Tosin Ogunode in the 4x100m relay event.
Former U-20 World Champion and 2018 Asian Games gold medallist Ashraf Amgad El Seify will represent Qatar at the men’s hammer throw.
Abdelaziz Mohamed (200m), Abubaker Haydar Abdalla (800m) And Abdirahman Saeed Hassan (1500m) are the other Qatari male athletes.
Kenza Sosse and Mariam Mamdouh Farid will compete in the women’s 400m and 400m hurdles events respectively.
More than 1900 athletes from 209 teams will be in action in the Qatari capital during the September 27-October 6 event.
The 1928 entries comprise 1039 men and 889 women. Of the 44 individual winners from two years ago, 38 will defend their titles in Doha.
All 30 of the newly-crowned Diamond League champions will also be in action.
The IAAF will release the official start lists after the technical meeting on the eve of the opening day.
TEAM QATAR FOR IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DOHA 2019
Men
100 Metres: Owaab Barrow
200 Metres: Abdelaziz Mohamed
400 Metres: Abdalelah Haroun, Abderrahman Samba
800 Metres: Abubaker Haydar Abdalla
1500 Metres: Abdirahman Saeed Hassan
3000 Metres Steeplechase: Yaser Salem Bagharab
400 Metres Hurdles: Abderrahman Samba
High Jump: Mutaz Essa Barshim
Hammer Throw: Ashraf Amgad El Seify
4 X 100 Metres Relay: Yaqoob Al Hasani, Owaab Barrow, Mahamat Zakaria Khalid, Abdelaziz Mohamed, Femi Ogunode, Tosin Ogunode
4 X 400 Metres Relay: Mohamed Nasir Abbas, Abdalelah Haroun, Bassem Hemeida, Femi Ogunode, Ashraf Hussen Osman, Abderrahman Samba
Women
400 Metres: Kenza Sosse
400 Metres Hurdles: Mariam Mamdouh Farid
