Sheikh Salman Al-Hamoud greets shooters as Rossi and Al-Otaibi look on.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 2: Italian Shooting Federation President Luciano Rossi, Asian Shooting Federation President Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Hamoud Al-Sabah, and Arab & Kuwaiti Shooting Federation President Engineer Duai Al-Otaibi toured the Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Ranges on the first day of the Asian Shooting Championship in Kuwait, which runs until November 8. The visit was aimed at assessing the progress and organization of the competitions.

During the tour, they met with delegation leaders and participating shooters, who praised the warm hospitality and the dedication of the organizing committee, headed by Engineer Duai Khalaf Al-Otaibi, Secretary-General of the Asian Shooting Federation, along with its subcommittees responsible for logistics and event management.

Italian Shooting Federation President Luciano Rossi expressed his admiration for the excellent organization and smooth conduct of the competitions.

Meanwhile, the men’s and women’s 50-target events continued on Monday, with fierce competition as shooters aimed to qualify for the finals and compete for medals.

Head of the Qatari shooting team, Ahmed Al-Kuwari, expressed his delight at having the “Al-Anabi” shooters participate in the Asian Championship at the Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Shooting Complex.

Al-Kuwari said: “We always prioritize tournaments in Kuwait for several reasons: its special place in our hearts, the excellent organization of competitions in a country known for friendship and peace, and the world-class Olympic-standard facilities, which are perfect for high-level competition.”

He added that Qatar is fielding its second team in this championship to give younger shooters valuable experience against Asia’s top talents, noting it as an ideal opportunity to develop their skills.

Al-Kuwari also praised the opening ceremony, attended by Minister of Culture and Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi, as well as leaders from Asian and Kuwaiti shooting federations and the president of the International Shooting Federation, which highlighted the championship’s importance.

Chief international judge Hamad Al-Rwaisan confirmed that the shooting ranges were fully prepared well in advance, with maintenance of the ranges, clay target machines, technical markings, distances, and target quality completed.

The judging panel includes 24 Kuwaiti referees with international licenses, alongside Qatari judge Abdullah Al-Hammadi, the tournament’s technical delegate, and Emirati Hassan Al-Shehi, head of Al-Jouri Club.

Kuwaiti shooter Ahmed Al-Mandeel, part of the national delegation, expressed gratitude to the Kuwait Shooting Club for providing the opportunity to participate in the Asian Championship for the first time, emphasizing the value of gaining experience against Asia’s best shooters.