ABU DHABI // Fehaid Al Deehani and Abdullah Al Rashidi, both winners of shooting medals at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, are early confirmations for November’s sixth Asian Shotgun Championship at Al Forsan International Sports Resort.
Kuwaiti Al Deehani became the first athlete to win an Olympic gold as an independent after the International Olympic Committee suspended Kuwait's Olympic body, citing domestic laws that permit government interference in sports.
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Al Deehani also won bronze medals in the men’s double-trap shooting at Sydney 2000 and in the trap shooting event in London 2012.
Joining him in the Kuwait squad is Al Rashidi, who also travelled to Rio as an independent Olympic athlete and returned with a bronze in the skeet. He has competed at every Olympic Games since 1996.
The sixth staging of the Asian Shotgun Championship has a prize purse of US$50,000 (Dh184,000) and has already drawn 110 entries from 10 countries and takes place from November 2 to 8.
According to Rabee Al Awadhi, the president of the UAE Shooting Club, the numbers are expected to increase significantly before the closing date for entries on Monday.
“We are expecting all those who participated at Rio from the continent to travel to Abu Dhabi for this championship,” he said at the launch ceremony at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr hotel on Wednesday.
“The two high-profile entries we have received so far are Fehaid and Abdullah, but most of the countries, including the UAE, have yet to name their participants.”
The championship for both men and women consists of the trap, double-trap and skeet.
The championship is open to all Asian Shooting Club member federations. Those already confirmed are Kuwait, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Lebanon, Iraq, Uzbekistan and the UAE.
“Al Forsan brings the Olympic setting to the UAE with Olympic standard ranges for the event,” said Rashed Al Qubaisi, the general manager of Al Forsan.
“As a forerunner to this championship, Al Forsan will stage the International Grand Prix Championship from October 20 to 30.”
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