UAE win shooting bronze

Abu Dhabi: The UAE added another medal to their haul in the 12th GCC Shooting Championship when they won bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions competition on Wednesday at the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Gulf Club (AESGC).

Bahrain won gold in the teams event with a score of 1,681, Qatar came second with 1,667, while the UAE scored 1,607 with Afra Al Badi notching 553 points, Shamsa Al Marzouqi 535 and Munira Al Hammadi 519.

Individually, Bahraini Azza Al Qasimi earned the gold with 664.6, followed by Qatari Bahaya Al Hamad with 662.3 for the silver. Her compatriot, Matara Al Aseiri, won the bronze with 659.6.

Bahrain also won the men’s 25m centre fire pistol competition with a score of 557.7 following tough competition from Oman, who took the silver ahead of Qatar.

Omani Saeed Al Hassani won the gold medal in the men’s individual event with 572, while Saudi Arabian Safar Al Doussari won the silver with 569 ahead of third-placed Omani Saeed Al Hashimi, who scored 566.

Mohammad Rashid Al Naseri, the General Manager of the AESGC, praised the standards of the competitors. He said: “This proves the great improvement in the sport in the GCC countries recently. We are pleased with the praise of the participants of our organisation, which proves that we are on the right path to hosting the World Shooting Championship for the first time in the UAE in April next year.

“The world championship will be the biggest ever shooting event in the country with the participation of the top 600 marksmen from the world over and will be organised under the ISSF [International Sports Shooting Federation].

“Last year we organised the World Cup shooting event and we enjoyed great success. I am confident that we will achieve the same success coming April.”