Olympic preparation centre brings Jordan athletes to top

AMMAN — While Jordanian Juliana Sadiq recently became the first Arab athlete to win the gold medal at the Asian Games this year, her sports journey almost came to an end last year, as she was suffering from an unknown medical condition for which she had no solution.

Thanks to a medial initiative implemented at the Olympic Preparation centre, she managed to get diagnosed and receive medical follow ups to treat her condition. 

“Without the help of this centre I would not have been able to win my first gold medal at the Asian Games,” Sadiq told The Jordan Times. 

The centre came to life last October, aiming to centralise trainings that focus on the most skillful players in the toughest games, according to Naser Majali, secretary general of Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC). 

“In 2016, after we finished the Rio Olympics, HRH Prince Faisal started thinking about a strategy for all sports to prove to the world that Jordan can reach advanced levels and that we have different kinds of sports which we are good at,” he told The Jordan Times at the centre in Amman, adding: “If we worked on them in a systematic way, we would help our players reach an advanced level.” 

Majali said the strategy included creating an Olympic preparation programme, in addition to providing local athletes with a wide range of services including nutrition, medical services, seminars, trainings, sports psychology, strength and conditioning programme and accommodation. 

One of these services, the Qusai Initiative, is the key that saved Sadiq’s sports career and contributed to her success.  

Founded in 2014 by HRH Crown Prince Hussein following the tragic death of young football player Qusai Al Khawaldeh, the Qusai Initiative is implemented by the Crown Prince Foundation in cooperation with JOC, aiming to transform sport therapy for athletes in Jordan.   

“A total of 40 players benefit from the medical centre per day,” Majali said, noting that the outcomes of the centre are “already obvious” thanks to the wide range of medals Jordanian athletes won recently. 

A total of 150 players benefit from the centre today, with a number constantly on the rise. 

“The centre also helped prepare under-18 athletes. A total of 12 players managed to get prepared for the current youth Olympics. The number we managed to prepare four years ago was one player, eight years ago there two players,” Majali noted.  

“The results of past competitions have proven that we are on the right path so our optimism has no limits,” the secretary general concluded.