UAE Olympic gold medallist tours schools in search of future clay shooting stars

Sheikh Ahmed bin Hashar Al Maktoum has gone on a tour of schools hoping to inspire children to take up the sport. Courtesy Dubai Sports Council

DUBAI // Is your child a potential clay-shooting champion? The UAE’s only Olympic gold medallist aims to find out.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Hashar Al Maktoum has gone on a tour of schools hoping to inspire children to take up the sport.

His tour began at Al Qeyam Model School in Al Barsha, with – as you would expect from an Olympic champion – an expert guide to clay shooting, followed by a question and answer session.

The children also got to watch a video of Sheikh Ahmed’s gold medal moment at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

“The visits are aimed at generating a desire among schoolchildren to become champions of the future, while attracting families to the event,” said Dubai Sports Council.

Children aged 7 to 10 will be among Sheikh Ahmed’s audience. Along with discussions and Q&A sessions there will also be a quiz, with pupils who earn the highest scores invited to the Nad Al Sheba Sporting Clays Championship, which begins on February 28.

During his tour Sheikh Ahmed will meet children from Jumeira Baccalaureate School, Rashid School for Boys in Nad Al Sheba, Jumeirah Model School for Girls, Zayed Bin Sultan School, Al Diyafah Road and Al Nokhba School, Mirdif.

The visits are organised to coincide with the inaugural championship, which runs until March 5 and in which nearly 1,000 shooters will take part.

Organisers hope the championship will encourage Emiratis to take up clay shooting and provide a platform for regional shooters.