UAE’s Mariam Kareem storms into Asian Games 400m hurdles final
Sulaiman Abdulrahman receives silver after opening UAE medal account
NAGOYA – UAE national athletics team athlete Mariam Kareem advanced to the women’s 400m hurdles final at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 after topping her heat and the overall qualifying standings on Sunday.
Kareem clocked a personal-best 55.14 seconds to secure her place in the medal race. Her performance came as UAE athletes continued competing across athletics, shooting, dressage, archery, fencing and other disciplines.
The UAE had already opened its medal account at the Games through Sulaiman Abdulrahman, who claimed silver in the men’s 400m final in 44.99 seconds. During Sunday’s athletics programme, Abdulrahman was presented with his silver medal, which he won on Saturday after a strong performance in the final.
Shooting action
In men’s trap qualification, Sheikh Mohammed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum ended the opening day in fifth place after hitting 48 of 50 targets. He recorded 24 hits in each of the two rounds.
Yahya Suhail Al Muhairi finished 26th with 44 targets, hitting 23 in the opening round and 21 in the second. The qualification competition will continue on Monday, with both UAE shooters remaining in contention.
The UAE also produced notable performances in dressage, where Bianca Schütz finished 12th in the individual freestyle final with a score of 70.930 percent aboard Le Grand Ayden HB. Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri placed 13th with 68.945 percent aboard Lotus-S.
Their qualification for the individual final represented a new milestone for UAE dressage. Schütz and Al Jahouri became the first two UAE riders to qualify together for the individual freestyle final at a single edition of the Asian Games.
Archery results
The UAE recurve mixed team began its campaign with a 6-2 victory over Nepal before losing 0-6 to India in the round of 16.
The UAE men’s compound team also exited at the round-of-16 stage after a 215-235 defeat to India. The women’s compound team lost 225-234 to South Korea, while the compound mixed team narrowly missed out against China, falling 150-153.
The UAE women’s recurve team was defeated 0-6 by Chinese Taipei in its knockout encounter.
Jumana Al Najjar, a member of the UAE national archery team, said she was satisfied with her performance and pleased to record a personal best at an event of this level.
She said the opening stage had been the most challenging part of the competition, particularly because of the nerves she experienced during the first round. Al Najjar focused on her technical execution, maintained her confidence and worked to stay composed throughout the event.
She added that facing athletes from different Asian schools and styles provided valuable experience, particularly when competing alongside world-class archers. The exposure, she said, offered insight into different approaches to competition and pressure.
Al Najjar said her next targets were to continue improving technically, build greater consistency and raise her results as she works towards competing for leading positions at world level.
The UAE fencing team also concluded its campaign in the men’s team épée event after losing 36-45 to Hong Kong, China in the round of 16.
Monday schedule
Kareem will return to the track for the women’s 400m hurdles final after finishing the qualifying stage at the top of the overall standings with her personal-best 55.14 seconds.
In shooting, Sheikh Mohammed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum and Yahya Suhail Al Muhairi will continue in the second day of men’s trap qualification.
In padel, Fatima bin Shahdoor and Mariam Al Hashmi are scheduled to begin their women’s doubles campaign in the first round.
Archery will see Abdullah Al Mansoori and Sultan Al Menhali compete in the round of 16 of the men’s individual compound event. Jumana Al Najjar and Amna Al Awadhi will continue their campaigns in the knockout rounds of the women’s individual compound.
Abdullah Al Zubaidi and Marwa Al Hammadi are also scheduled to compete in the ILCA 4 sailing class after the day’s events were postponed because of unstable weather conditions.
China remained at the top of the medal standings with 201 medals, comprising 117 gold, 46 silver and 38 bronze. Japan followed with 153 medals, including 36 gold, 60 silver and 57 bronze, while South Korea had 81 medals, with 20 gold, 23 silver and 38 bronze.