Alia al Shamsi and Nada al Bedwawi will make history on Monday in Kazan, Russia, as they will become the first two women to represent the United Arab Emirates at the World Aquatics Championships.
Technically it is the 17-year old al Bedwawi who will make her debut first in the 100 backstroke, but the 15-year old al Shamsi will follow close behind int he 100 breaststroke two events later.
Al Shasmi is the veteran of the two on the international stage; she swam at the Arab Swimming Championships in Dubai in April.
Both swimmers will race out of the first heat, and neither is likely to advance for a semi-final, but this is a historic moment for a country without any real history of women’s history. The country has become a regular host for major world meets (including the 2010 World Short Course Championships).
The moment and its implications in a region without a long history of inclusion of women in athletics is not lost upon al Shasmi. When asked by sport360.com who she was looking forward to meeting, she named Farisa Osman, an Egyptian who finaled at the 2013 World Championships, over a pile of superstars that she could have named.
Al Bedwawi said that she believes the Arab world is becoming more accepting of female swimmers, citing the beginnings of female world class swimming in nearby Qatar and Kuwait as well.
Farida* Osman