UAE's Al Kaabi wins gold medal in Double Skeet

Dubai - Kaabi beat Russian veteran Musin Vasila on his way to the top finish

UAE shooter Khaled Al Kaabi clinched the gold medal at the Cyprus Grand Prix in the Double Skeet Shooting event, beating Russian veteran Musin Vasila, who boasts of a great record in the game.
Al Kaabi, who is seeded 7th in the Olympic Ranking, won the title in style having shot 134 skeets over the five stages of the competition to qualify for the finals as part of five shooters from Russia, Scotland, Italy, Finland and the UAE. The European athletes exited the contests one after another, and in the final showdown with the Russian competitor, the Emirate shooter prevailed by three skeets.
The championship, which ends on February 13, featuring the participation of 504 shooters competing in three categories (Trap, Double Trap and Skeets), witnessed the implementation of a new system in the final round as well as a new procedure for computing the first three positions.
Al Kaabi offered deep thanks and appreciations to Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the NOC, for the close follow-up and providing all resources for Emirati athletes to make their way to the podiums and hoist the national flag in mega international & continental events.
"It goes without saying that the affiliation to the Elites Club has boosted the chances of winning more accolades in the name of the UAE," said Al Kaabi.
"I dedicate this achievement to the UAE leadership and its people and I always hope to be able to represent the nation in a decent manner and raise its profile worldwide. It is a great noble mission and a huge motivation for us; given the unlimited support of our leadership, which is keen on providing everything needed for the success and excellence of citizens.
Meanwhile, Saif bin Futtais is gearing for participation in the Skeet Shooting events on Feb 12 & 13.
Engineer Dawood Al Hajri, Assistant Secretary General of the NOC, praised the golden achievement of Al Kaabi who translated into reality the huge efforts and preparations for Rio Olympics along with his high Olympic ranking. He continued to excel in all events culminating in results capable of elevating our overall sports drive.
"We are thrilled by this excellent achievement of the UAE sport, and I thank Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for patronising elite athletes in shooting and cycling.
"I would also wish to avail this opportunity to congratulate our cyclist Yousef Mirza on scooping the bronze medal in the Asian Track Cycling Championships (120 Track Circles); which is one of the toughest competitions of the Championships. We have another chance for a new potential achievement of the UAE Sport resting on our shooter Saif bin Futtais in Skeet Shooting who is right on track for achieving that honour," added Al Hajri.