UAE shooters Mohammed Ahmed and Saif bin Futtais made a strong start to their Asian Games campaigns in Nagoya on Monday, keeping alive their hopes of reaching the final of the men’s individual skeet competition.
Ahmed was the standout performer on the opening day, hitting all 50 targets to move to the top of the standings.
Saif was close behind, missing only one target to sit fourth on 49, leaving both UAE shooters well placed ahead of Tuesday’s second day of qualifying.
The top eight will advance to Wednesday’s final.
The UAE also featured in several other events on Monday.
Salem Mohammed Rashid Al Yamahi and Sultan Saleh Mohammed Hassan missed out on a place in the men's 10m air rifle, with their respective scores of 611.8 points and 595.2 points well below the 630-point cut-off.
In the swimming pool, Abdullah Al Ameri clocked 28.72 seconds in the men’s 50m backstroke, Hamad Al Shehhi recorded 24.06 in the 50m freestyle and Omar Al Hammadi finished the 100m breaststroke in 1:08.78. None advanced to their finals.
Al Ameri returns on Tuesday to compete in the men’s 400m individual medley, while Olympian Safiya Al Sayegh and Zahra Hussein will represent the UAE in the women’s road race.
Al Yamahi will also team up with Fatima Al Suwaidi Hassan in the 10m air rifle mixed team event.
In football, the UAE face China in a crucial Group B encounter, knowing they need a win to reach the knockout stages.
The UAE won 20 medals at the 2022 Asian Games, including five gold, and have sent 165 athletes across 21 sports to Japan.
Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, Vice President of the UAE Olympic Committee and chairman of its Executive Office, said the team’s preparation had created ambitions for strong results.
“We look forward to seeing the UAE athletes deliver their best performances during the Games,” he said.
The Nagoya Games are the biggest Asian Games to date in terms of medal events, with 469 gold medals available across 43 sports.
About 17,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries are taking part, making the continental gathering larger than the 2024 Paris Olympics, which featured 329 medal events across 32 disciplines.
