Kuwaiti shooters dominate at Gulf Games in Doha

KUNA photo Kuwait’s women’s shooters display gold medals on the podium.

DOHA, May 19: Kuwait’s shooting team continued its outstanding run at the 4th Gulf Games in Doha, capturing gold medals in both the men’s and women’s individual trap and team events to underline the country’s supremacy in the sport.

The Kuwaiti team, featuring Shahad Al-Hawal, Reem Al-Zamanan, and Hajar Malak, secured first place and the gold medal. Qatar finished second, while Bahrain took third place.

In the individual trap competitions, Shahad Al-Hawal and Abdulrahman Al-Faihan added further glory for Kuwait, winning gold in the women’s and men’s events, respectively.

Kuwait also secured a silver medal in the men’s team trap competition, with the trio of Abdulrahman Al-Faihan, Khaled Al-Mudhaf, and Talal Al-Tarqi finishing second.

Kuwait Shooting Federation President Duaij Al-Otaibi congratulated the country’s leadership, the Public Authority for Sport, and all those who supported the team’s participation, praising the shooters’ strong performances.

He also commended Qatar for its hospitality and the excellent organization of the tournament.

In the men’s competition, Abdulrahman Al-Faihan clinched gold after edging Qatar’s Mohammed Al-Rumaihi in a thrilling shoot-off tie-breaker, winning 23-22 following a closely contested final.

Kuwaiti shooter Shahad Al-Hawwal also delivered an impressive display to secure gold in the women’s individual trap event, adding another valuable medal to Kuwait’s tally and highlighting the growing strength of women’s shooting in the country.

Al-Faihan expressed pride in winning the title, saying the achievement was the result of extensive preparation and hard work. He described the competition as extremely intense, particularly the decisive shoot-off rounds, which reflected the high level of Gulf shooting athletes.

Elsewhere, Kuwait added a bronze medal through national billiards and snooker player Ahmed Abl, who finished third in the men’s individual 15-red snooker event.

Kuwait’s men’s padel team suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against Qatar, while the national handball team fell 28-21 to the UAE.

Kuwait Olympic Committee technical director and delegation administrator Dr. Hussein Al-Saeed praised the performances of the Kuwaiti teams, revealing that the country’s athletes have so far collected 46 medals at the Games, a sign of the continued progress of Kuwaiti sports on the Gulf stage.