Friday, 30 September, LIUZHOU (China): “It's more than a friendship, we are distant cousins and most importantly we are family,” said Ahmed Al Hameli.
His longtime friend and ex-teammate and very close neighbour Thani Al Qamzi sits just 30 metres away in the race paddock as they prepare for the fourth round of the 2016 UIM F1H2O World Championship and the 23rd race in China at the Grand Prix of Liuzhou. “We've known each other since we were little kids as our families, who are related, got together a lot socially three decades ago when the beach town of Abu Dhabi was small and we were too,” said Al Qamzi. “We are both the same age (37) and today with both of us having our own families, we actually have beach houses situated near each other so we couldn't be any closer.”
The duo became teammates at Team Abu Dhabi when Al Hameli joined the organization in 2006. The two went on to win for the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) 13 times in nine seasons before Al Hameli was let go and joining the Emirates Team at the start of the 2015 campaign. “Yeah, Thani and I have great fun with our rivalry especially now,” said Al Hameli. “We get together after the races, go fishing in winter while wake boarding, jet-skiing and generally getting in each-others way throughout the year.”
The Al Qamzi and Al Hameli families are an important part of the seven family structure that made up Abu Dhabi decades ago when the city had no skyline and just a few houses on the beach. “We used to tend to our date farm for half of the year and fish commercially the rest of the year near the beach,” said Al Hameli. “My family still has date farms and both Thani and I still fish all the time for not only fun but profit as well. We are cousins and know we have that special bond that only people who are related can understand.”
The two almost started a “family feud” a few years ago, when, at the start of the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi both drivers took each other out of the race with a huge accident at the first turn of the event at their home race, marking the last time they would race as teammates. “Yes, I have moved on as has Thani,” said Al Hameli. “At races now we don't see each other as much but when we get home back in Abu Dhabi, we hang out together a lot and isn't that what friends and family should be all about?”
Al Qamzi is starting his 18th race in China this Monday, looking for his third victory of his career in the People's Republic and his first since Sharjah of 2012. Al Hameli is looking for his seventh career win and his first in China having not won in 20 starts since Doha of 2012 and would tie his old friend if he can pull off the victory and take 20 points.
The fourth race of the 2016 UIM F1H2O World Championship takes place on Monday, 3 October at 15:00 local 07:00 UTC and 03:00 on the East Coast of North America and can be viewed live by going to the tours official website at f1h2o.com for live streaming of the worldwide television feed.
The fourth race of the 2016 UIM F1H2O World Championship takes place on Monday, 3 October at 15:00 local 07:00 UTC and 03:00 on the East Coast of North America and can be viewed live by going to the tours official website at f1h2o.com for live streaming of the worldwide television feed.
