Fourth edition of UIPM Champion of Champions from tomorrow

Two-day event will see top athletes compete in five Olympic disciplinesQatar will host the annual International Federation of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) Champion of Champions event, tomorrow and on Sunday at the Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre and Al Shaqab arena.The tournament, first hosted by Doha in 2013, will see the top 34 UIPM ranked athletes – 17 men and women each – compete to claim the crown for the best modern pentathletes in the world. The women’s competitions will be held tomorrow, while the men will be in action on Sunday.The two-day competition will see top athletes from 16 countries compete in five Olympic disciplines –- Swimming, Fencing, Riding, Running and Shooting. Last year, the Germans dominated the event with Patrick Dogue winning the title, while Annika Schleu emerged as the women’s winner. In fact, Schleu has won the last two editions of the competition. The event is organised by the Qatar Equestrian & Modern Pentathlon Federation for the first time after both the bodies merged earlier.At a press conference yesterday, Ali al-Rumaihi, Event Director of Champion of Champions, said the aim is to stage the event successfully like in the previous years. “We are excited for this fantastic opportunity to host this event in Qatar again, allowing us to build on previous editions of the Modern Pentathlon Champion of Champions competition. Working closely with the International Federation of Modern Pentathlon, we hope to showcase this sport in Qatar and across the whole of the Middle East, supporting Qatar national vision 2030 to develop Qatar into an international sporting hub,” he said. “In addition to being an international world class sports event, our hosting of the COC competition, provides the opportunity for the community to discover and understand the sport, especially those who are not familiar with it,” the Event Director of QEF added.Al-Rumaihi also reckoned the event was an Ideal stage to encourage the youth in Qatar through the sport.“Promotional plans are being put together to encourage the younger generation to attend such a competition, to generate an interest in sports among the young and develop a healthy lifestyle. Through organising such international competitions, we hope to inspire the community and realise more participation from local residents in Qatar,” he added.President of UIPM, Dr Klaus Schormann was effusive in his praise of Qatar for hosting the event successfully in the last three years.“The magical city of Doha is staging this competition for the fourth time and we know that this is always a highlight of the season for our athletes, coaches and fans watching all around the world,” he said yesterday.“One year ago during the 2016 Champion of Champions, we witnessed a very special moment of sportsmanship and also this year I welcome you all to celebrate together wonderful moments through Modern Pentathlon in the spirit of friendship and peace. “For the first time we saw an athlete from Qatar participate at this high level and when he completed his final lap of the Laser-Run, all the other athletes gathered at the finish line to applaud him. This was a true expression of the values of Olympic sport, as established by the founder of the Modern Olympic Games and Modern Pentathlon, Baron Pierre de Coubertin. These values remain central to our sporting movement today,” he addedSchormann said the high class field will be in action in Doha. “These are top class athletes of our sport. They all have participated in the Olympics are one of the toughest contenders. We can expect a high-class Modern Pentathlon event amid the high-quality facilities in the Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre and Al Shaqab Arena. Doha is a special pillar of our movement and I thank our hosts for conducting this magnificently over the last three years,” added the German, who has been the head of the global Modern Pentathlon movement since 1993.ScheduleTomorrow Women: Swimming (at QF Recreation Centre 9am)Fencing round-robin  (QFRC 10am)Fencing bonus round (Al Shaqab at 1.15pm)Riding competition (Al Shaqab at 2.55pm)Running & Shooting Combined event (at Al Shaqab, 5pm)Award ceremony (Al Shaqab; 5.45pm).