24 trick skiers and 36 wakeboarders, representing 13 countries have assembled here in Muscat, Oman, for water skiing?s and wakeboarding?s first participation in the Asian Beach Games from 8th -16th. December 2010. Sanctioned by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the inaugural games were held in Bali in 2008.
While conditions in the bay at Qantab have been calm all week, winds of 60km/hr in the Middle East have disrupted shipping in the Suez Canal and Red Sea. Consequently the seas around Oman have been rougher than expected making conditions challenging for both skiers and riders.
Nonetheless, current Asian Wakeboard Champions Padiwat Jaemjan from Thailand and Chen Li Li from China braved the conditions to qualify for the semi-finals. The women?s trick event included 7-year old Hanifah Aaliya Young of Malaysia. With a score of 1,420 she held off competition from her elder sister Phillipa 1,250 to stand in 4th place against the three Chinese women trick skiers Jiang Hui 1,820, Soong Yu-fei 2,050 and Li Jin-mei 2,100.
Making his debut in an Asian event was Adel Al Harbi of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, however at the end of the day it was Maliki Zulkarnaini of Indonesia (INA) 1,850, Lun Sibo (CHN) 1,870 and Kim Dongha (KOR) 2,960 who topped the leader board.
Competition starts again tomorrow morning at 0900 with the Men?s and Women?s Wakeboard Semi-Finals, followed by the Trick Finals and Wakeboard Finals.
