DUBAI, 7th March 2017: Over 400 participants join daily to train for the Fazza Championship for Shooting – Saktoun Rifle. The training commenced on Sunday 5th March for the tournament which is open to locals, residents and GCC ahead of the competition which will be held from Wednesday 8th March till Saturday 11th March at the Dubai Police shooting field in Ruwayyah area in Dubai. The training is also to train nationals to participate in the Fazza Championship for Shooting with Saktoun Riffle for Nationals which will be held from 12-15 March.
Organized and supervised by the Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Centre (HHC) for the revival of heritage sports, the organizing committee has drawn up a three-day training schedule from 8.00am to 5.30pm in order to allow the participants to register and get familiar with the shooting range before the start of official competition to prepare them to achieve their best levels.
The participants are considered to be the most skilled and best shooters. They have accumulated experience by participating in this tournament in particular, but the training schedule is a preparation before official competition.
The tournament will be conducted in five categories men, women, youth and junior girls and boys, with the qualifying rounds held during the first three days before the finals on Saturday 11th March.
The organizers have installed new state-of-the-art technology at the tournament site, including modern electronic screens for everyone to follow the results comfortably and to enjoy some of the strongest performances in an elegant atmosphere.
Ms. Suad Ibrahim Darwish, Director of Championships at HHC said they expect a strong level of competition and a record number of participants because the championship has evolved over the years. “In order to keep pace with the best practices and ensure transparency and accuracy of results, there are electronic screens that monitor the results of shooters and transmit directly onto the shooting area and the screens for public view immediately after the jury reviews the results,” he said.
“We always strive to upgrade the tournament site to provide the best facilities not only for participants but the spectators. We welcome residents and visitors from the region and around the world to enjoy this traditional sport,” he added.
Gulf entries
Brigadier Mohammed Obaid Al Muhairy, Head of the organizing Committee said: “The majority of participants who took part in training exercises on the first day were from Oman and Saudi Arabia from GCC countries, which is symbolic because UAE promotes healthy rivalry between regional countries through these tournaments. Since there was a huge demand for training, 12 minutes each were allocated for each participant on the first day considering that only eight minutes will be given during the competition.”
Among the shooters who were engaged in training was Omani Salim Al Kathiri, who is participating for the third time. “I did not have luck to climb the podium during the finals in the past two years after recording 77 and 76 points. This does not frustrate me. On the contrary, it encourages me to redouble my efforts to try and win the event in my third attempt,” he said.
Kathiri revealed that the reason for the large Omani presence in this tournament is because Fazza Championship for Shooting is a prestigious tournament for all countries in the region.
“Everyone in the Sultanate of Oman is watching this tournament. We are thankful to the commitment of the organizers of this annual tournament and for the hospitality extended by the UAE,” he added.
Al Saktoun Rifle
Al Saktoun Rife is a traditional weapon renowned for its accuracy and used in the past by tribesmen for fishing and hunting, as well as during war.
The official sponsors of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Center are Al Tayer Motors, Land Rover, Dubai Airports, AW Rostamani (Arabian Automobiles), Global Village and Al Oula Radio.
