KUWAIT: Kuwait proved tough during the fourth day of competition of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Eighth International Grand Prix and controlled the clay target event, as Kuwait won two gold and a bronze medals, while Serbia won the air pistol and rifle events.
Asia games champion Talal Al-Rashidi won the trap gold by hitting 42 targets in the final round, while Saudi Arabia's Fahad Al-Mutairi was second with 41 and the bronze was won by Kuwait's Khalid Al-Mudhaf who hit 34.
In the women's trap Sarah Al-Hawal won the gold with 42 hits following a hard competition with Italy's Isabella Cristani who hit 40 targets and her compatriot Giuila Grassia who hit 33.
Omani shooters' were on top with the three position rifle as Hamad Al-Khateri won gold with a score of 454.3 defeating Serbia's Milenko Sebie with a score of 454.2, while the bronze medal ended with Oman's Ibrahim Al-Muqabli who scored 435 points.
Saudi Arabia's Attallah Al-Enezi won the gold medal of the 10m air pistol, (237.9) defeating Serbia's Damir Mikec who scored 235.7 points, while Kazakhstan Eldar Imankulov won the bronze with 215.4 points.
Serbia's Zorana Arunovic won the women's 10m air pistol gold medal scoring 242.4, while Armenia's Elmira Karapeyan won 234.5 points, as Maria Grozdeva from Bulgaria won the bronze medal with the score of 213.4.
Kuwait is on top of the shotgun medals table with two gold and one bronze, while Italy has one silver and one bronze, Saudi Arabia has one silver, meanwhile, Serbia headed the air pistol and rifle table with four gold and two silver. Oman is second with one gold, one silver and one bronze, Saudi Arabia third with a gold followed by Kuwait and Kazakhstan silver and bronze, Armenia one silver, Bulgaria, Bahrain and Egypt with one bronze each.
Kuwait trap shooter Sarah Al-Hawal said her win is so dear because it came after very strong competition with Italian world champions during the rain and strong winds. She said she was able to concentrate and qualified for the finals then won the gold by hitting 42 out of 50 targets.
Meanwhile, shooter Talal Al-Turqi said winning the first and third place is a very good achievement adding that he is proud to win gold while competing with accomplished world champions.
By Abdellatif Sharaa