Abu Dhabi: The topmost 60 men and women shooters in the world will compete in the finals of the World Champions Competition at the Al Ain Equestrian, Golf and Shooting Club (AEGSC) from September 27 to October 6.
This was disclosed yesterday at the premises of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council(ADSC) in a press conference attended by Ahmad Nasir Al Rayesi, Chairman of the UAE Shooting Federation, Mohammad Ebrahim Al Mahmoud, Secretary-General of the ADSC, Medhat Wahdan, Vice-Chairman of International Shooting Federation and Mohammad Al Nassiri, from AEGSC.
"We are proud to host such a prestigious and important competition in our country and we are grateful to Shaikh Mohammad Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, the President of the AEGC, for his continuous support for shooting and for his directions to provide all necessary facilities to achieve success to the championship which will surely promote our country in general and the Abu Dhabi Emirate and Al Ain city in particular." Al Rayesi said.
"We are also thankful for the support and cooperation of the ADSC and I am sure that such cooperation will help us to achieve great success in hosting the international competition," he said.
Part of strategy
Al Mahmoud said, "hosting such international events are a part of the strategy of the ADSC to promote our country's sport and provide the local athletes with opportunities to gain experience by competing against the world's best.
"The ADSC is keen to support shooting because it is one of our heritage sports and it has achieved great success at the Olympic Games and the World Championships in the past few years."
Wahda also praised the facilities of the AEGSC.
"The club has great and modern facilities which can be regarded as one of the best in the world. The competition will feature the best 60 men and women shooters in the world who will be selected based on their performance in the international competition this year. Two shooters from the UAE will be also be selected," he said.
"There are three competitions for men and two for women and I am confident that the UAE will achieve unprecedented success," he said.
"I also take the opportunity to announce that today [yesterday] the UAE Shooting Federation has applied officially to host the World Cup in 2013. The hosts will be decided in the ISSF meeting in Germany in June.
"I am looking forward to see a brighter future for shooting in the UAE judging by the facilities available in the country and by the plans and enthusiasm of the UAE SF," Wahdan said.
Al Nassiri assured that AEGSC has all the facilities and capabilities to host the event and is confident that the tournament will be a great success.
