Tunisia's Mellouli Wins 'Athlete of 2011 Arab Games' Title

Doha, December 23 (QNA) - Tunisia's ace swimmer Oussama Mellouli has won the coveted title of 'Athlete of 2011 Arab Games' with his super performances in the pool which fetched him 13 gold medals. The award carries $70,000 prize money presented by sponsor Qtel. Mellouli has pledged to use the money towards his preparations to help retain his 1500m Olympic title at London 2012 Olympics. "I promise to invest the $70,000 in preparing myself to compete in the Olympics and honour the name of Arab countries," he said in a news conference at the Main Media Centre on Thursday. When asked about the key to his success, Mellouli said, "I have no secrets - I just like the sport and I'm committed to it. It's not just one or two months of training but years and years of sacrifices and training to make this happen." Arab Games Organising Committee Chairman and Qatar Olympic Committee Secretary General Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said, "We are all honoured by the achievements of this great Arab champion." The Arab Games conclude Friday night with the football gold medal match followed by the closing ceremony at Al Sadd Sports Club. Sheikh Saoud said the final evening would be "just like we started, reflecting the bright future of Arab nations". He also acknowledged the accomplishment of competitors who have completed the Olympic qualifying standard for next year through their performances here in Qatar. (QNA)