The UAE’s Mohammed Ahmed and Saif bin Futtais kept their hopes alive of reaching the final round of the individual skeet competition at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Monday.
On the opening day of the competition, both Ahmed and Saif delivered tremendous performances.
Ahmed was in top form, hitting 50 targets to clinch the top spot in the standings.
Saif, on the other hand, was in fourth place with 49.
The two talented UAE shooters will return on Tuesday to continue their quest for a place in the final.
The top eight will advance to the final, which will be held on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the UAE’s Salem Mohammed Rashid Al Yamahi earned 611.8 points and Sultan Saleh Mohammed Hassan scored 595.2 points in the men’s 10m air rifle competition.
In the men’s 50m backstroke of the swimming event, Abdullah Al Ameri of the UAE clocked 28.72 seconds.
Hamad Al Shehhi, on the other hand, recorded 24.06 seconds in the men’s 50m freestyle.
In the men’s 100m breaststroke, Omar Al Hammadi clocked 1:08.78.
On Tuesday, Abdullah Al Ameri will be back in the pool to compete in the men’s 400m individual medley.
Olympian Safiya Al Sayegh and Zahra Hussein will also defend the UAE colours in cycling as they enter the women’s road race final on Tuesday.
In the 10m air rifle mixed team event, the UAE will be represented by Salem Mohammed Rashid Al Yamahi and Fatima Al Suwaidi Hassan.
In football, the UAE face a must-win game against China in Group B on Tuesday, needing a win to qualify for the knockout rounds.
Having won 20 medals at the 2022 Asiad, including five gold, the UAE will be hoping for another strong performance in Japan, where 165 athletes will represent the country in 21 sports events.
“We look forward to seeing the UAE athletes deliver their best performances during the Games and translate the efforts they have made throughout the preparation stages into results that meet our ambitions and reflect the development of UAE sport,” said Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, Vice President of the UAE Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Executive Office.
“We value the efforts of the UAE Olympic Committee, the sports federations, and the technical and administrative teams in preparing our national teams for this event, and we wish all our participating athletes every success in achieving results that raise the UAE flag at this continental gathering.”
The 2026 edition of the Asian Games is even bigger than the 2024 Paris Olympics in terms of participation.
While the Paris Games saw 329 medal events across 32 disciplines, the Asian Games in Nagoya has 469 medal events in 43 sports.
Around 17,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries are participating in the 2026 edition of the Asian Games.
Source: Khaleej Times