China, India continue their dominance at Airgun Championship

KUWAIT: Kuwait's trap shooters Sarah Al-Hawal took the silver medal for the women's individual trap event, though she was so close to win gold during the sixth day of the 8th Asian Shotgun and 11th Airgun Championships which witnessed a world record for India and two Asian records for China and Kuwait.

Al-Hawal lost a shot-off round to the Chinese shooter who placed second in the 2018 World Cup Xiaojing Wang with a difference of one target (44 to 45). Meanwhile China's Xinqiu Zhang won bronze. Kuwait also won the bronze medal of the team's event with the team of Sumaiah Al-Juhail, Sarah and Shahad Al-Hawal. Meanwhile, China won the gold medal with a new Asian record of 344 hits, and Kazakhstan won silver.

In the individual junior women trap event China's Wendi Gao won gold, and her compatriot Yewei Duan won silver while Kazakhstan's Sarsankul won bronze. In the team's event China was first followed by Kazakhstan.

China and India continued their control over the Airgun events as China's Jiayu Wu and Ranxin Jian won the gold mixed team medal in the 10m air pistol event, followed by Yiayu Wu and Ranxin Jiang won silver and Ting Kuan Kuo from Chinese Taipei won bronze. While Kuwait's Hamad Al-Namshan and Amira Awadh ended in fifth place.

In the 10m mixed junior event India's Chaudhary Saurabh and Manu Bhaker won gold followed by China's Keyi Wang and Xie Yu. The Indian team broke the world record by scoring 485.4 points while the previous record was 483.

China has won (21 gold, 13 silver and 9 bronze) medals, followed with India with (5 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze), Kazakhstan (2 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze), Thailand (2 gold), Kuwait (1 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze), Singapore (4 silver, 3 bronze) Chinese Taipie (1 silver, 5 bronze), UAE (1 silver, 1 bronze), Japan, Bahrain and Qatar (1 bronze each).

Kuwait shooter Sarah Al-Hawal said she was happy with the silver medal following the strong competition with the Chinese shooter, who won gold. Sarah said she was affected somehow with the unstable weather.

She thanked all those involved in Kuwait shooting who did not spare a thing in order to allow shooters make the best of results.

Sponsor of alternative medicine forum Sheikha Suhaila Salem Al-Sabah who visited Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex congratulated Sarah Al-Hawal for her achievement as she competed with the best shooters of the world.

Sheikha Suhaila thanked the KSSC board for their care of this sport and making it possible for Kuwait shooters to compete in all championships.

Assistant Treasurer at Kuwait Shooting Sport Club Adnan Al-Ibrahim said the championship is going as planned technically and administratively. He said activities are proceeding as planned and the organizing committee did not receive any complaint all along the past days, and this is what we hope for until the last day of the championships.

Al-Ibrahim lauded the officiating of the tournament being led with 24 Kuwaiti referees in addition to guest referees from Asia. Al-Ibrahim spoke about the weather adding that it did not affect the tournament, as ranges officials were at the ready and had all ranges prepared to start competitions on time.

Al-Ibrahim lauded the major support the shooting sport club receives from HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the political leadership, and appreciated the cooperation of all concerned government bodies to bring out the championship at its best.

By Abdellatif Sharaa