Duaij Al-Otaibi

By Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: President of the Arab and Kuwait Shooting Federations, Secretary General of Asian Shooting Confederation (ASC) Engineer Duaij Khalaf Al-Otaibi said Kuwait Shooting Federation welcomes the ASC's request to organize the first Asian Shooting Championship online. He said the tournament will take place on Jan 29 and 30.

Otaibi said the Higher Organizing Committee is working hard to complete preparations for the tournament, which is going to be held online due to the coronavirus pandemic. He said that a large number of countries expressed interest in participating in the tournament, noting that there are 16 countries so far who confirmed their participation in the Olympic skeet, trap, air pistol and rifle for both genders.

Furthermore, Otaibi said that the ASC executive committee expressed its intention to hold such tournaments so that Asian shooters remain ready to participate in upcoming international tournaments most notably the Tokyo Olympics currently planned for August.

Otaibi said the Organizing Committee approved the international referees who will supervise competition in each country, along with a coordinator who will send the results as they take place, and to make sure participating shooters are registered and approved, and are participating from their own country. Results will be sent to the organizing country as they will be calculated and winners will be announced, he explained.

Obaid Al-Osaimi

Meanwhile, Secretary General of Arab and Kuwait Shooting Federations Obaid Al-Osaimi said that preparations are ongoing for the launch of the tournament which takes place under the patronage of President of the Asian Shooting Confederation Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah. Osaimi, who is the director of the tournament, lauded the major role of Sheikh Salman in helping Asian shooters to return to shooting after the halt of sports activities due to the coronavirus pandemic, through organizing championships in Asia using online technology.

Osaimi added that there are 400 shooters of both genders participating from 16 countries. "The Kuwait Shooting Federation is ready to organize the tournament's activities, and the higher organizing committee was formed for this purpose," he said. Osaimi said the tournament is an important platform for shooters to prepare for HH the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah International Grand Prix to be held at Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex on February 12-19, 2021.