The UAE's Abdullah Sultan Al Aryani is one of the most successful athletes in Paralympics shooting history – and he has his sights set on adding a third gold medal to his collection in Paris.
The four-time Paralympian has won five medals in three different shooting events at the past three Games, including golds at Tokyo 2020 and London 2012 as well as three silvers at the Rio Games in 2016. His first Games were in Beijing in 2008.
Now he is aiming to add to his tally by taking victory at the Games in Paris, which start on August 28.
In an interview with Paralympic.org, Al Aryani said: "I will participate in 10-metre standing shooting and 50-metre shooting, both in rifle, and my goal is to achieve golds, God willing.
"The greatest motivation over the years is that I am a representative of my country, which gave me everything and supported me in every way. Therefore, I can never let my country down and I will do everything I can to raise the flag on the podium.
"One of the best moments an athlete can remember is carrying his country’s flag during the Opening Ceremony. I did this in Beijing, and it is something I will not forget. Also, being the only Arab shooter in that tournament was a great honour and a history that is rarely enjoyed by many."
Al Aryani was a member of the UAE shooting team before injuries he sustained in a car accident in 2001 led him to switch to Para shooting.
"Shooting had a major role in overcoming the accident. When you find that what happened did not take away your ability to do what you love, then you have the ability to continue and forget the pain," he told Paralympic.org.
"Shooting is what helps me achieve self-fulfillment and is a source of pride. A lot can be said during this eventful journey, but what I can say is that my determination did not diminish my love for the sport of shooting and my passion for practising it.
"On the contrary, my determination increased and my ability to face the challenges increased, especially with the great support that I found from everyone everywhere."
On his preparations for these Games, he said: "I have been preparing for Paris for a long time through local, international, and regional tournaments, which gave me the opportunity to interact with high-level players from all over the world.
"Now that the event is approaching, I am training regularly and trying to improve my numbers with the help of my coach.
"All my achievements make me proud. But of course, receiving a gold medal at such a high level makes me the most proud. It is an indescribable feeling. The Tokyo medal was the most difficult to win. It is natural for competitors to make special calculations for a player who has previously won a gold medal, and thus the competition was much more fierce.
"The whole world during the Covid-19 pandemic was not as we know it. Therefore, the stadiums were not the stadiums that we were accustomed to, not to mention the many precautionary measures that we were taking.
"The lack of fans certainly affected us, as fans in all sports give momentum and motivation. Fans are the only element that do not win titles or awards but continue to provide encouragement and support – that stems from true love for sports and athletes.
"Before Tokyo, the circumstances that occurred throughout the world as a result of the pandemic were difficult for everyone, and this was reflected in the difficulty of competitions and adapting to the special procedures that were followed.
"The lack of fans makes it as if you are in training and not in competition and overcoming that was a big challenge. I am very excited to compete in Paris in front of the crowds again."
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