Dalma is first Saudi equestrienne to compete in Youth Olympics
Dalma is first Saudi equestrienne to compete in Youth Olympics
SINGAPORE: Sixteen-year-old Dalma Rushdi Malhas will create history when she becomes the first Saudi female equestrian competitor in the ongoing Youth Olympic Games here. The event began on Aug. 14 and will conclude on Aug. 26. Some 3,500 youth athletes from 205 countries are participating.
This is the Kingdom first participation in the sport with a female participant. Dalma will participate in the equestrian events on Monday and Tuesday.
According to the Saudi Arabia's Olympic Committee Secretary-General Rashid Ahariol, the female athlete is participating on her own in the competition on her own expense. Dalma is also not part of the official youth team participating in Singapore.
Just like her mother, Arwa Mutabagani, who was the first Saudi female member to the Olympic delegation with the equestrian team in Hong Kong, Dalma hopes to leave her mark in the sport. Arwa is also a member of the Saudi Federation for Equestrian.
The Olympic Council of Asia Director General Said Husain Al-Mussallam told Agence France Presse that "Dalma's participation is part of the International Olympic Committee requirement that calls for a mandatory female athlete in every participating team. The new laws state that the minimum quota of one women in any Olympic discipline is a requirement for the the team?s participation in the Games.?
"The Asian Olympic Council is delighted that all Asian nations have committed themselves to the terms of the International Olympic Committee with the participation of athletes of both sexes, and we welcome the participation of three Asian countries, namely Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Brunei in the Olympics for the first time," Al-Mussallam said.