Omar Abdulaziz Shehail, a member of the national junior judo team and Sharjah Club for Martial Arts, believes his success story began in the atmosphere of Ramadan sports activities, which later led to his name emerging as a promising talent in judo. He has won 24 medals in various local and international competitions.
Shehail explained that his journey with judo started when he met several athletes from Sharjah Club for Martial Arts in one of Sharjah's public parks. He was 12 years old at the time, as part of the "Sport before Iftar" program, annually organized by the Sharjah Sports Council an hour before Iftar during the holy month of Ramadan. His participation was motivated by a desire to enhance his physical fitness and flexibility, but the experience quickly turned into a real passion for the sport. He first started practicing karate before moving to judo, which had a significant positive impact on his career and led him to become a distinguished player.
Omar Shehail achieved many successes at the local level before being called up to the national junior team, where he won a silver medal in the Kalba International Championship, as well as participating in other important international tournaments, including the Bahrain Youth Asian Games. He also engaged in friendly bouts during the national junior team's training camp in Uzbekistan.
"That Ramadan starting point was a real turning point in my sports career," Omar Shehail told "Al-Emarat Today." He emphasized that it was not just participating in a sporting event, but a gateway to discovering his abilities and developing his personality.
He added that Ramadan sports activities have become an important part of his life, and he advises the youth to participate in them and benefit from them according to the applicable conditions, as they could be a reason for discovering talents, in addition to providing sustainable health and fitness benefits.
He continued: "The Ramadan atmosphere gave me a unique sports experience that was admired by my family, who later joined me. The time before Iftar became a gathering for family members in a beautiful sports and social activity."
He clarified that his official joining of Sharjah Club for Martial Arts put him on the right track in his sports career, where he was able to progress through the colored belts until he reached the brown belt.
He pointed out that his father also joined the club and managed to obtain a black belt in judo before later becoming a referee in the sport, which was an additional motivation for him to continue improving his level.
Omar confirmed that family support was a pivotal factor in his success, especially with his father's participation in sports, which helped create a motivating environment at home based on encouragement, discipline, and commitment.
He said: "My ambition is to represent the United Arab Emirates in world championships and raise the country's flag on international podiums, culminating in participating in the Olympic Games."
