Qatar Shooting and Archery Association (QSAA) President, Mohammed bin Ali Al Ghanim Al Maadeed (second left), and member of the organising committee of the Second CISM International Shotgun Championship speaking at a press conference at Losail Shooting Complex, yesterday. Also seen are Lieutenant Colonel Walter Borghino (second right), President of Sports Committee at International Military Sports Council (CISM), Lieutenant Colonel Bruno Wolfensberger (right), President for Shooting events at Sports Committee at CISM. Brigadier General Ali Mohammed Al Kuwari, Competition Manager of Second CISM International Shotgun Championship.
Doha: The Second CISM International Shotgun Championship will begin from today at the Losail Shooting Complex, it was announced here yesterday.
The three-day championship, sanctioned by International Military Sports Council (CISM), will have 65 shooters from ten countries taking part in the Trap and Skeet categories, informed top officials of CISM during a press conference here yesterday.
“Shooters from Bahrain, Finland, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Latvia, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar and Thailand, are here for the championship. Some of the competitors are Olympic and World Champions,” informed Lieutenant Colonel Walter Borghino, President of Sports Committee at CISM.
Borghino thanked Qatar for coming forward to host the Shotgun Championship and expressed optimism that the country will be successful in its mission to be a ‘leader in sports’.
“Qatar has all the possibilities, facilities and the constituents to be a leader in sports. We wish to thank Qatar for giving International Military Sports Council the extra ordinary opportunity to host the championship here,” added the CISM official.
The Italian said that CISM is a worldwide organisation with member countries spread across continents.
“We organise various sporting events for the armed forces for our 133 member countries. Our ultimate goal is to contribute to world peace by uniting armed forces through sports. The motto under which we operate is ‘Friendship through Sport’, added Borghino.
Founded in 1948, the CISM is one of the largest multidisciplinary organisations in the world.
The CISM officials disclosed that Qatar will host the 2016 CISM Shooting and Shotgun Championship.
“The 2016 CISM Shooting and Shotgun Championship will be the first time that both shooting and shotgun championship will be held together. It will be the first time in the 60-year history of the CISM that around 900 shooters from 65 countries will be taking part for a single sport of shooting at CISM,” informed Lieutenant Colonel Bruno Wolfensberger, President for shooting events at Sports Committee at CISM.
Meanwhile, hosts Qatar will be competing in both the men’s and women’s section.
Missing from the Qatar list of competitors is ace shooter Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah, bronze medalist at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Nasser, a former Dakar Car Rally winner, is presently recovering from an injury he suffered on Saturday during the penultimate round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in Spain.
“Nasser will not be taking part as he is recovering from an injury,” said Qatar Shooting and Archery Association (QSAA) President, Mohammed bin Ali Al Ghanim Al Maadeed and member of the organising committee of the championship.
Some of the top shooters who are here in Qatar include, two-time Olympic Games bronze medalist Fehaid Al Deehani of Kuwait and Simona Scocchetti of Italy, silver medal winner at the this year’s World Championship.
Italian duo of Daniele Resca, bronze medal winner at the 2006 World Junior Championship, and Valerio Andreoni, silver medal winner at the World Junior Championship in 2003 are the others top shooters.
Among those present for the press conference was Brigadier General Ali Mohammed Al Kuwari Competition Manager of the 2nd CISM International Shotgun Championship.
The Peninsula
