The United Arab Emirates National Olympic Committee was recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 1 January 1980. The nation made its debut at the Olympic Games four years later at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, and has taken part in every Summer Olympics since, making Beijing their seventh appearance in a Summer Olympiad. , it has never participated in a Winter Olympic Games. The country has won a single medal, a gold medal in the sport of shooting. The 2008 Summer Olympics were held from 8–24 August 2008; a total of 10,942 athletes represented 204 National Olympic Committees. In April 2008, the United Arab Emirates National Olympic Committee announced its largest delegation of athletes to an Olympic Games in sixteen years, with eight for Beijing. They were sprinter Omar Jouma Bilal Al-Salfa, equestrian rider Latifah bint Ahmed Al Maktoum, judoka Saeed Rashid Al Qubaisi, sailor Adil Mohammad, shooters Ahmad Al Maktoum and Saeed Al Maktoum, short-distance swimmer Obaid Al Jasmi and taekwondo Maitha Al Maktoum. All the athletes were promised monetary awards of $272,000 if they won a gold medal, $200,000 for a silver medal and $136,000 for a bronze medal. The inclusion of Latifah and Matiha Al Maktoum marked the first time the United Arab Emirates had sent female athletes to an Olympic Games. Maitha Al Makotum was selected the flag bearer for the opening ceremony, while Al-Salfa carried it at the closing ceremony.