Al Ain, May 12, 20018- The UAE Shooting and Archery Federation will inaugurate on Friday morning the “Year of Zayed Shotgun Championship 2018 Championship”. The official training of the clay pigeon shooters from towers (Skeet) will be held in Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club, while the tournament that is attracting 40 competitors, and is representing various clubs and sports bodies, it will last until 14 May. 

The championship is considered a very important event as the first activity on the current agenda of the new federation, which extends until 2020 in the clay pigeon shooting that represents the achievements mine for the UAE shooting sport. In addition, this tournament will bear the name of the UAE inspiring leader, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The championship will usher the beginning of a new era that will witness a qualitative leap in the Federation’s activities and its various competitions, the handgun, gun, clay pigeon, and archery, to safeguard achievements and gains obtained , and work hard to achieve more victories.

The first round of Skeet Tournament will be launched on Friday. The main competitors are the national team stars, including HH Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Saif bin Futais, Mohammed Hussein, Khaled Al Zarif, Rashid Al Balushi, Mubarak Al Mansouri, Salem Al Mazroui, Faris Al Mazroui, Bikheet Al Hamli, and Saranov Yuri. The Skeet Tournament will continue till Saturday, where three rounds shall be organized on Friday, then two more rounds with the final to be held on Saturday. The best six shooters will be qualified on the basis of World Shotgun Federation’s rules. The tournament will be managed and ruled by a team of seven referees, led by Hassan Al Shehhi, Arkan Al Amiri, Masoud Al Isaei, Badr Al Hammadi, Khaled Al Maalami, Youssef Khalfan and Rajaa Faisal.

Commenting on the launch of the championship, which represents the first activity of clay pigeons shooting, Major General Rashid Khamis bin Aber Al Hamli, President of the Federation, welcomed the participants, stressing the federation’s keenness to support the event and develop the game in general, besides qualifying administrators, referees, trainers and shooters, so that all elements can be developed to promote the UAE national sport.

Al Hamli pointed out that the Federation will work hard through the current season activities to discover the new talents to expand the team of existing shooters. “The federation will provide them and their peers with all the possible support and means to achieve the national hopes of the UAE sport”, he said.

On the other hand, the formal training for trap pit shooters will be organized on Saturday, while each shooter will participate in three rounds on Sunday with a total of 75 clays, then to shoot 50 clays on Monday. The best six shooters will be qualified for the trophy, medals and prizes. In addition, the organizing committee has allocated cash prizes for the national team and other players.