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By Elshadai Negash
Doha, QATAR -- Some of Asia’s top middle and distance runners are expected to slug it out in the 15th Asian Games when the middle and long distance running events commence tomorrow.
Topping the bill are perhaps the men’s 800m and 1500m where Bahrain’s Rashid Ramzi, the world champion in both events, will bid to repeat his exploits from the 2005 world championships in Helsinki. The 26-year Moroccan native hasn’t exactly been at his world beating best this year, although he ran 3:29.16, the second fastest time of the year over 1500m behind Kenyan Daniel Kipchirchir Komen at the Rome’s Golden Gala Golden League fixure in July.
In the longer distance, Ramzi will come up against the Qatari duo of Daham Najm Bashir and Abubaker Ali Kamal, and his compatriot, the world junior bronze medallist Belal Mansoor. They are the four runners who have run under 3:40 this season going into Thursday’s first round.
In the 800m, Ramzi’s main challenge is expected to come from Kuwait’s Mohammd Ali Azemi, who is one of the surprise runners to emerge from the international grand prix circuit this year, with wins in Doha and Helsinki. Azemi ran a national record of 1:44.13 for second in the Gaz de France Golden League meeting in Paris and should give his Bahraini counterpart a run for his money.
In the women’s middle distance events, all eyes will once again be on Bahrain’s Maryam Yusuf Jamal as she chases an elusive 800m/1500m double in Doha. The 23-year old former Ethiopian has enjoyed another impressive season this year with victories in the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart and the IAAF World Cup in Athens, atoning for the disappointment of finishing third in the world indoor championships 1500m in Moscow earlier in the year.
Jamal should have little problem in dealing with a weak 800m field in Thursday’s opening round or the final on Sunday, but needs to keep her calm to shrug off the intentions of world junior bronze medallist Yuriko Kobayashi in the 1500m race.
Jamal and Ramzi have also been entered in the 5000m, but the strain of going through heats and finals in their two events could take a toll. Japan’s Kayoko Fukushi, world leader over the 10,000m this year and sixth in the long course at the 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka last March, could be the runner to capitalize on Jamal’s fatigue, although she too has been scheduled to run in the 10,000m. Compatriot Hiromi Ominami is the outsider for the title in the 10,000m.
In the men’s 10,000m, the man to look out for is Qatar’s Ahmed Abdullah Hassan. The 25-year old, who is the former Albert Chepkurui of Kenya, has a season’s best of 26:59.54 from the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels and is well ahead of the rest of the field.
Despite the withdrawal of the event’s two-time world champion and record holder Saif Said Shaheen, the men’s 3000m steeplechase will again be a battle between the host nation and the Bahrainis. Bahrain’s Tareq Mubarak Salem is the fastest starter in the field going into Friday’s final. Another runner to watch out for is Qatar’s Gamal Belal Salem who has a personal best of 8:11.67.
As usual, Japanese women will be the favourites to take the women’s marathon. Kayoko Obata (2:25:52) and Kiyoko Shimahara (2:26:47) are the overwhelming favourites as the country from the rising sun hopes for a famous 1-2.
In the men’s marathon, Qatar’s 2005 world half marathon Mubarak Shami brings big championship pedigree into the race. The Kenyan-born runner, who celebrated his 26th birthday on 2 December, is best remembered for his premature celebrations that cost him victory in the last edition of the World Half Marathon Championships in Edmonton, Canada. He is the national record holder for the Marathon with 2:09:22, a time which he set when winning in Venice in 2005.
Three runners in the marathon start list have run faster than Shami’s best of 2006 (2:11:11). Japan’s Satoshi Irifune should offer the gravest resistance having run 2:10:47 this year. His compatriot Satoshi Osaki (2:10:49; PB of 2:08:46 in 2004), and China’s Deng Haiyang (2:10.50) will also be pushing for the medals.
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