Shooters start arriving for Nad Al Sheba Championships

The shooters have already started arriving for the Nad Al Sheba Shooting Championship which begins on March 2.

Prominent among the early arrivals is George Digweed, Richard Faulds and Stuart Clarke so that they can get some vital practice behind them before the competition gets under way.

The championship is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council.

The organisers, led by Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hasher Al Maktoum, the country’s only Olympic gold medal winner and Chairman of the Organising Committee, is pleased with the preparations being made to host some of the top shooters in the world.

Sheikh Hamdan has instructed a separate allocation of $135,000 as prize incentives for shooters from the Middle East who will be participating in the Nad Al Sheba Shooting Championship.

The increase in prize money takes the total cash prize fund for the championship to $735,000.

Sheikh Ahmed extended his thanks to Sheikh Hamdan as incentives such as a special prize fund for shooters from the Arab world will go a long way in promoting this sports among the people of the region.

“We appreciate Sheikh Hamdan’s gesture as it is part of his policy to motivate athletes in UAE and the region with the aim popularizing shooting at the grassroots level,” Sheikh Ahmed said.

“The generous increase of the championships prize fund confirms the significance of the event on the international stage. We are sure that the Organising Committee will be able to arrange the event in such distinctive level that copes with the prestigious status of UAE,” he added.

The winner in the men’s competition will get $140,000, while the runner-up and third-placed shooters will receive $65,000 and $40,000.

There will be prizes for the top-50 finishers.

In the women’s category, the winner will receive $35,000, while the second place will get $20,000 followed by $15,000 for the third place right up to the one placed 20th in the finish list.

Official training sessions will be held at the shooting range on February 28 and March 1, while the actual competitions will get under way from March 2.

The organisers have set up a brand-new shooting range along the Al Ruwayyah and Emirates Road.

In addition to the winners in the various categories, there will be daily raffle draws for three cars besides electronic appliances and household items during the course of the competition.

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