JOC PARTNER BACKS OLYMPIC SWIMMER’S BID

Jordan swimming star Khader Baqleh has received a huge helping hand from an official partner to the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) as he prepares to make history this summer at the Olympic Games.

The 17-year-old is the first Jordanian to make a qualifying time for an Olympic Games, but his winter preparations for Rio de Janeiro have been hampered by access to indoor 50m pools.

But JOC official partner backaldrin has come to the rescue by hosting Khader in their native Austria for two weeks to train at the Sportland Upper Austria Olympic Centre.

There, he has trained with Lena Kreundl and Sebastian Steffan, swimmers of the “Kornspitz® Sports Aid Foundation Team” under the watchful eye of his coach Yehia Hammudeh Al Salti.

“We are extremely grateful to backaldrin and the JOC for giving Khader this opportunity to train at such world class facilities which can only improve his preparation for Rio,” said Ibrahim Naddeh, Secretary General of the Jordan Swimming Federation.

Through its close ties with athletes, backaldrin The Kornspitz Company was responsible for the realisation of this special training camp.

As Honorary Consul of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Upper Austria, backaldrin CEO Harald Deller also welcomed Mahmoud Khader, Vice President of backaldrin ARAB, Hussam al Husseini, Ambassador to Austria of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Regional Sports Director Gerhard Rumetshofer and Provincial Councillor for Economics and Sport, Michael Strugl.

Provincial Councillor Strugl said: “For Sportland Upper Austria, it is of utmost importance to support and encourage exchange programmes for athletes and trainers. Internationalisation is, therefore, also an important principle of the new Sports Strategy Upper Austria 2025. We are immensely pleased that Khader and his coach could use the “Sportland Upper Austria Olympic Centre” to prepare for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and to train with our swimming team under national coach Marco Wolf.

“We hope that Khader Baqleh will take many positive impressions of Upper Austria home with him and we wish him every success at the Summer Olympics in Rio.”