Para archers pleased to be back for Dubai 2021 Fazza Championships

Seventy-participants from 11 countries will take part across the four days of action at the Dubai Club for People of Determination

Archers from the 2020 Fazza Championship. Courtesy Gaber Abedeen/LOC Fazza

Para archers return to action on Tuesday for the seventh Fazza Para Archery World Ranking tournament Dubai 2021 at the Dubai Club for People of Determination.

Seventy-participants from 11 countries will take part across the four days of action, including Iran’s gold medallist in the women's individual recurve W1/W2 at the 2012 London Paralympic Games Zahra Nemati, former men's Compound Open world No 1 Marcel Pavlik of Slovakia and Asian Para Games gold medallist Harvinder Singh from India.

Turkey who topped the medals table last year have arrived with the maximum 14 competitors while the UAE has seven. The rest of the contestants are from Algeria, France, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine.

Emirati Mohammed Abdulla Al Shehhi, a compound archer who trains at the Dubai Club for People of Determination, said he is excited to return to top-level competition.

“I am looking to get my personal best score here,” he said. “I will try my best. I have been competing in Fazza Championships for many years now.”

The French four-member team’s coach Hybois Vincent said the competition is very important for his archers.

“We are very pleased to be here,” he added. “It is the first time, after more than a year, that we can be together; we can compete, join other teams and once again be in the shooting line.”

“We are very happy that we had hosted a successful Para Athletics Worlds qualification event last week which marked the beginning of the Fazza Championships for this year,” said tournament chairman Thani Juma Berregad.

“We wanted to set a benchmark for the future competitions and I believe we managed to do it well.

“The health and safety of the participating teams are of top priority, so we are making sure that all the precautionary measures will be in place during the Championships. I wish good luck to all the participants.”