Qatar’s men’s team comprising former Asian Games bronze medallist Hamad al-Marri, Abdulbasit Mohsen al-Saadi and Rashid al-Athbi won the double trap silver medal at the Arab Shotgun Shooting Championship in Rabata, Morocco, yesterday. Kuwait won gold, while Morocco took bronze.
Qatar finished the championship with one gold (men’s team skeet) and five silver medals. Morocco hosted the championship from April 3 and the event was organised by the International ShootingSport Federation in co-operation with the Arab Shooting Federation, with the participation of 11 teams competing in trap, skeet, and double trap for men and women.
“I’m happy that the entire team put in creditable performance and we were able to bag the second place in the double trap, which was tough and exciting. This display will surely raise our confidence level so that we can score more successes in the future,” said al-Marri.
Al-Marri was a bit unfortunate in the individual event, when he narrowly lost the bronze medal to Oman’s Hussein al-Shahami. Marri, who won the third place in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, regretted missing out on the medal. “There was a close battle for the bronze medal. I tried my best to claim it but the Omani shooter managed it slightly better and I lost the chance,” al-Marri said.
“The Qatar Shooting and Archery Association prepared the entire team well ahead of the Arab championship. If we are able to get so many medals, it was just due to its proper planning and camp. Our aim is to do well in each championship or competition. We’re all trying to secure these goals and becoming better with each event,” he said.
Qatar’s men’s shooting team of Hamad al-Marri, Abdulbasit Mohsen al-Saadi and Rashid al-Athbi.
