Mohammed Khamis Khalaf is a 50 year old powerlifter who moves around in a wheelchair but still has the never-say-die spirit of a much younger man. UAE based Ahmad Daham is an expert drifter (motorsport) who recently made history as the first Arab Drifter to participate in the prestigious European Championships. They have both done the country proud!
He has made his mark in the world of Paralympics powerlifting for many years now. In 2002 he had won the gold at the World Championships in Malaysia. In 2004 he won the gold at the Athens Paralympic and during the 2008 Beijing Games, he captured the silver medal.
For years now, he has given his everything to win laurels in his chosen sport. The desire to achieve something for his country and his family keep him motivated. He also helps to inspire others with disabilities; giving many the encouragement to dream big in spite of the problems that they live with. He attracted royal attention when he won UAE’s first gold at the Rio Paralympics in 2016.
This year itself, the irrepressible 50-year-old has picked up two gold medals at world events. He now trains his sights on the Ahmad Daham World Para Powerlifting Championships title in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. He has won silver medals twice at this event but the gold has eluded him so far. After having trained for a month in Thailand, the lifter is feeling fitter and stronger than ever and he feels that he is ready and that it will be third time lucky for him.
Ahmad Daham explains what drifting is: it is the art of being in control of the car and not being in control at the same time. This sport was popularised in Japan in the 1970s and demands a great degree of driving skill and control. The aim of drifting competitions is speed, angle, showmanship and line taken through a corner or set of corners – these are the aspects upon which competitors are judged.
Of Jordanian extraction, Ahmad Daham is now settled in the UAE and he has won the Red Bull Car Park Drift’s regional finals two years in a row: 2014 and 2015. He also holds the world record for the “Longest twin vehicle drift title – a stunt which sees two cars travel in synchronisation with one another while continuously drifting for the furthest distance possible.”
Ahmad Daham is the first to represent the UAE in the Drift Masters European Championship & Goodwood Festival of Speed; featuring challenging events which attract up to 150,000 motorsport fans. He already has 750 podium wins to his credit and hopes to add to that tally!
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