Kuwait Shooting Club to partake at Rio 2016 under Kuwait flag Kuwait Shooting Club to partake at Rio 2016 under Kuwait flag

KUWAIT: President of Kuwait Shooting Sport Club (KSSC) Eng Duaij Khalaf Al-Otaibi said, the club will only participate in the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics under the Kuwait flag. He said the board of directors follows the state’s decisions not to officially participate, but gave shooters the choice to participate on their own. He said the club will not officially participate because of the unwarranted decisions against Kuwait sports by the International Olympic Committee, which is caused by complaints submitted by some Kuwaiti officials claiming government interference in Kuwait sports.

Al-Otaibi was speaking during the Kuwait Shooting Sport Club General Assembly which was held Sunday evening at Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex. Al-Otaibi said Kuwait Shooting Federation won the appeal ruling against Kuwait Olympic Committee, that commits it to send a letter to the international shooting sports federation stating that KSF is the only entity that represents the State of Kuwait, as the case has been for 30 years. He said KOC had earlier sent a letter that denies recognition of KSF, which hindered Kuwait Shooting and deprived Kuwait shooters from representing their country.

Al-Otaibi said that the club did not want to deprive its shooters who qualified for the Olympics from participating, but it will not participate without the Kuwait flag. He expressed regret that the suspension of Kuwait sports is still on, for baseless reasons, as some are claiming interference of government in athletes affairs, which “is totally untrue.” He said Kuwait federations and clubs enjoy complete independence and are democratically elected, and this had adverse results on Kuwaiti athletes by depriving them from foreign participation.

Eng Al-Otaibi lauded the distinguished results of Kuwait shooters in the regional and international tournaments, adding that Kuwait shooters still top the Asian and international rankings. Al-Otaibi appreciated the unlimited support Kuwait shooting enjoys from the country’s political leadership, which had a great effect on Kuwait shooting achievements including the two Olympic medals by shooter Fuhaid Al-Daihani, which is Kuwait’s only Olympic achievement, that in addition to having 60 per cent of Kuwait gains in the Asian games, the latest of which the Incheon games in Korea.

Meanwhile the six shooters qualified for the Olympics Fuhaid Al-Daihani, Abdallah Al-Torqi Al- Rashidi, Khalid Al-Mudhaf, Abdelrahman Al-Faihan, Saud Habib Al-Kandary and Ahmad Al-Afasi were honored during the general assembly in the presence of Interior Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Special Security Maj Gen Mahmoud Al-Dousary.

The general assembly was chaired by Eng Duaij Khalaf Al-Otaibi and in the presence of KSF Secretary General Obaid Munahi Al-Osaimi, Treasurer Essa Butaiban, Assistant Secretary General Eng Mohammad Misfer Al-Ghurba, Assistant treasurer Adnan Nasser Al-Ibrahim and Board Member Eng Hussam Al-Roumi

By Abdellatif Sharaa