UAE earns first Asian Games 2026 medal with 400m silver

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UAE earns first Asian Games 2026 medal with 400m silver

September 27, 2026

Sulaiman Abdulrahman wins 400m Silver for UAE at Asian Games in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan — Sulaiman Abdulrahman wins 400m silver for UAE at Asian Games in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan, September 26, 2026. Photo: WAM

NAGOYA, Japan,— The United Arab Emirates won its first medal of the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Saturday, when sprinter Sulaiman Abdulrahman took silver in the men’s 400-meter final.

Abdulrahman finished in 44.99 seconds, just 0.09 seconds behind gold medalist Joshua Atkinson of Thailand, who crossed the line in 44.90 seconds.

Fellow UAE runner Emmanuel Bamidele also raced in the final, posting a time of 45.97 seconds.

In track events, UAE sprinter Aminat Qamardeen ran 23.61 seconds in the women’s 200-meter heats.

Abdul Quddus Ali qualified for the men’s 200-meter semi-finals with a heat time of 21.07 seconds and clocked 21.05 seconds in the semi-final.

This is not the first success for the young sprinter Sulaiman Abdulrahman this year. Earlier in 2026, he claimed the 400-meter title at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong.

That performance, timed at 44.85 seconds, broke the championship record and made him the first competitor in the event to finish under 45 seconds.

Reacting to the medal, Major General Dr. Mohammed Al Murr said the sport had delivered the UAE’s opening result of the Games.

He described the runner-up finish as a major achievement, noting how tight the race had been and how strong the overall competition was, calling the outcome as valuable to the country as a gold medal.

He said the young runner’s performance was an example of the standard the UAE wants its athletes to reach at continental and international events.

The official also pointed to the wider progress being made by young UAE athletes, saying their achievements were building confidence in the direction of the sport.

He said supporting young talent remained the country’s approach to developing athletes who can contend for medals at continental and international level, and that continued backing would help the UAE push for podium results in future competitions.

The Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 is the 20th edition of the multi-sport event, held in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan. The Games opened Sept. 19 and run through Oct. 4.

(With files from WAM)