Said Saif Asaad (born Angel Popov (; May 31, 1979 in

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

), is a

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

weightlifter Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells, barbells or machines. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can ...

who competed in the Men's 105 kg weight class at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

and won a bronze medal. One of eight Bulgarian weightlifters recruited by the Qatar Olympic Committee, Asaad became a Qatari citizen to represent the country in the 2000 Olympics, his old name, Angel Popov, being left behind in the process. Qatar has been known for recruiting sportspeople from other countries, the most notable example being world-class runner Saif Saaeed Shaheen. After moving to Asia, Asaad has become Asian champion twice as well as winning the

2002 Asian Games The 2002 Asian Games, officially known as the XIV Asian Games and also known as Busan 2002 (), were an international multi-sport event held in Busan, South Korea from September 29 to October 14, 2002. Due to schedule impediments the football tour ...

. He is also the 2003 world champion. Later he competed at the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...

, but finished without a result.

Notes and references

External links

Athens 2004 participant bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asaad, Said Saif 1979 births Living people Qatari male weightlifters Bulgarian emigrants to Qatar Bulgarian male weightlifters Weightlifters at the 2000 Summer Olympics Weightlifters at the 2004 Summer Olympics Olympic weightlifters for Qatar Olympic bronze medalists for Qatar Olympic medalists in weightlifting Asian Games medalists in weightlifting Naturalized citizens of Qatar Weightlifters at the 2002 Asian Games Weightlifters at the 2006 Asian Games Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Asian Games gold medalists for Qatar Medalists at the 2002 Asian Games Converts to Sunni Islam from Eastern Orthodoxy World Weightlifting Championships medalists Naturalised sports competitors 21st-century Bulgarian sportsmen 21st-century Qatari sportsmen