Gold medalist Fehaid Al-Deihani, an independent athlete from Kuwait, poses for photographers during the award ceremony for the men’s double trap event at Olympic Shooting Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Aug 10. (AP)

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 11: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah sent a cable Thursday, congratulating 49-year-old Kuwaiti shooter Fehaid Al-Deihani on winning the Gold Medal in the men’s double trap competition at the Rio Olympics.

Al-Deihani was a member of the Independent Olympic Athletes (IOA) team, winning them the first ever gold medal since the establishment of the team in 1992.

His Highness the Amir stated that this was a huge accomplishment for Al-Deihani, proving the abilities of Kuwaiti athletes to compete and to win medals in the Olympics. High Highness the Amir wished Al-Deihani all the best in future competitions where he will proudly represent the Kuwaiti flag.

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah also sent cables congratulating Al-Deihani for his outstanding achievement.

Fehaid Al-Deihani will return home at 3:30 am this Sunday, on board a private Kuwait Airways Corporation airplane. Al-Deihani will receive the highest financial reward ever given to a Kuwaiti athlete.

He will be granted a monthly salary of KD 5,000 for the next four years, until Tokyo Olympics in 2020. The reward is part of the athletes’ incentives endorsed by the Public Authority for Sports. (Agencies)