KUWAIT CITY, Oct 1: Mohammed Al-Aiban, the Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, expressed his admiration for the remarkable achievements of Kuwaiti athletes at the ongoing 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. He praised their outstanding performance, which has already resulted in the acquisition of three medals of different kinds, a source of great joy for the entire nation. Minister Al-Aiban made these remarks during a statement to reporters upon his return to Kuwait from China, where he accompanied the medal-winning athletes.

Among them were Abdullah Al-Tarqi, who secured the gold medal in the individual (skeet) event, Iman Al-Shamaa, who claimed silver in shooting (skeet) for the mixed doubles category alongside her teammate Al-Tarqi, and Youssef Al-Shamlan, who earned the bronze medal in the individual saber fencing competition. Al-Aiban credited the motivation provided by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad, who met with the athletes before the tournament’s commencement, as a driving force behind their exceptional performances. He expressed confidence in Kuwaiti athletes winning additional medals as the tournament continues until October 8th.

The minister emphasized the government’s commitment to continually support athletes in their pursuit of more victories on the international stage. He also recognized the pivotal role played by Fatima Hayat, the Director of the Kuwaiti delegation, in supporting all Kuwaiti participants across various competitions. Yousef Al-Baidan, Director General of the Public Authority for Sports, echoed similar sentiments, attributing the impressive achievements in the Asian competition to the diligent preparation of Kuwait’s national team players. He underlined the Authority’s commitment, backed by the political leadership and the support of the Minister of Youth, to bolster Kuwaiti athletes in their quest for further accomplishments and the advancement of Kuwaiti sports.

Sheikh Mubarak Faisal Nawaf Al- Sabah, a member of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Olympic Committee, also extended his congratulations to the medal-winning champions who have proudly represented their country on the continental stage. He expressed gratitude for Minister Al-Aiban’s and the General Sports Authority’s unwavering support, which played a pivotal role in achieving this success. Olympic champion Abdullah Al- Tarqi hailed the victory as his third in the history of his participation in Asian tournaments and the fifth for Kuwaiti shooting sports. He considered the establishment of world records in both competitions a significant achievement, affirming Kuwait’s dominance in Asian shooting. Iman Al-Shamaa, the shooter, expressed her immense pride in securing Kuwait’s first women’s medal in shooting sports in the history of the Asian Olympic Games. She credited the continuous support provided by the Kuwaiti Shooting Club to male and female shooters as a direct contributing factor to the ongoing success of Kuwaiti shooting.

Yousef Al-Shamlan, a member of the Kuwaiti fencing team, celebrated the historic achievement of winning Kuwait’s first medal in the history of fencing at the Asian Games. He expressed great pride and regarded this victory as a motivating force for himself and his fellow fencers to strive for more triumphs in upcoming major tournaments.