Dubai: Many of the world’s top marksmen have landed in Dubai ahead of the Second Nad Al Sheba Desert Shooting Competition — the richest event in the history of the sport — which will be held at the Nad Al Sheba shooting range this week.
Organisers expect a field of more than 950 will compete for the $1 million-plus on offer. The United Kingdom has the biggest team with more than 250 making the trip here, followed by the USA with 90 and Russia with 71.
Among the big names are Great Britain’s George Digweed, James Murphy, Adrian Pope, James Attwood and Jonathan Ward, along with American champions Anthony Matarese, Robert Kidd, Will Fennell and women’s duo Melinda Earle and Michelle Miles.
The shooters spent Monday at the official range getting used to the unpredictable desert conditions. The event — held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council — starts on Wednesday and runs until Saturday.
The elite competition will see 75 athletes in the men’s category and 40 in the women’s.
The top 25 finishers in the men’s section will share a cash purse of $675,000, with the champion receiving $200,000, the runner-up $100,000 and the third-place shooter $50,000.
All 40 women will receive prizes, with the winner taking home $50,000 followed by $25,000 each for the next two finishers.
The general public has been invited to attend the Nad Al Sheba range, which is located off the Dubai-Al Ain Road. There will be four cars raffled off during the competition and several other competitions and contests on the sidelines, including a paintball shooting arena.
