UAE’s golden generation shines as athletes return with record Asian Games haul

The UAE's athletes returned from Japan with a record-breaking performance at the Asian Games. The country secured 13 medals, including a record seven golds, surpassing their previous best set at the 2018 Asian Games in Hangzhou. The UAE finished 13th in the overall medals table out of 45 nations. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, president of the UAE Olympic Committee, hailed the achievement as a proud moment for the country, reflecting the determination and ambition of UAE athletes.

In jiu-jitsu, the UAE won five gold medals, a testament to the country's investment in the discipline over the past two decades. Balqees Al Hashmi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Ahmed Andeez, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, and Asma Al Hosani each claimed gold in their respective weight categories. Jiu-jitsu players Al Shehhi and Al Hosani secured consecutive golds at the Asian Games.

Mariam Kareem, an 18-year-old, won the UAE's first gold medal of the Games in the women's 400m hurdles final, setting a new Asian Games record time of 54.31 seconds. Sulaiman Abdulrahman secured the country's first medal at the Games with a silver in the men's 400m final, narrowly missing gold by just 0.09 seconds. Equestrian events saw the UAE take home a second silver medal, with Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi and Hudson de Vains claiming individual silver after a dramatic three-way jump-off at JRA Equestrian Park in Tokyo.