Alkass English
DOHA – The Qatar Shooting and Archery Association has finalized its preparations to host the World Shooting Championship, the first qualifying event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, which gets underway on Tuesday at the Lusail Shooting Complex, bringing together more than 1,100 male and female shooters from 91 countries, including an elite field of world champions and Olympic medalists.
All technical, organizational and logistical arrangements have been completed, coinciding with the arrival of participating delegations, while the Lusail Shooting Complex is fully prepared to host the competitions across rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines, including skeet and trap.
The Association will hold a press conference on Monday to unveil details of the championship and its competition schedule, followed by the opening ceremony, which will be attended by officials from the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association, the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) and representatives of the participating delegations.
The championship carries particular significance as one of the major qualifying events for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. A total of 36 Olympic quota places will be available across 12 individual Olympic events, with three places allocated to each event.
Qatar will be represented by 22 male and female shooters competing across four disciplines, with six athletes each in skeet, trap and rifle, and four in pistol.
The Qatari team competing in skeet comprises Rashid Saleh Al Athba, Nasser Al Attiyah, Mohammed Al Kuwari, Reem Al Sharshani, Sarah Mohammed and Hajar Mohammed. The trap squad includes Mohammed Al Rumaihi, Angelo Scalzone, Nasser Al Humaidi, Ray Bassil, Kholoud Al Khalaf and Meitha Al Binali.
In rifle, Qatar will field Khaled Al Sharshani, Abdullah Al Sunaidi, Ali Al Mohannadi, Al Maha Al Ali, Retaj Al Yafei and Dalal Al Qubaisi. The pistol team consists of Nasser Al Sunaid, Khaled Al Shaiba, Mohammed Nasser Al Yafei and Doaa Al Habib.
Competition begins on Tuesday, November 3, with the finals of the men's and women's 10m air rifle events, each offering three Olympic quota places.
The programme continues on Wednesday, November 4, with the 10m air rifle mixed team final, followed by the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol final, which will also award three Olympic quota places.
On November 5, the men's and women's 10m air pistol finals will take place, with three Olympic quota places available in each event.
November 6 will feature shotgun competitions, including the Olympic-qualifying skeet events, with three quota places available for men and three for women. The 10m air pistol mixed team final will also be held on the same day.
The skeet mixed team final is scheduled for November 7, while November 9 will see the women's 50m rifle three positions final, which will award three Olympic quota places.
Competition continues on November 10 with the women's 25m pistol final, offering three places at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
On November 11, the final Olympic-qualifying rifle event will take place with the men's 50m rifle three positions final, which will also award three quota places.
The competition will reach its climax on November 12, when the men's and women's trap finals bring the Olympic qualification process to a close, with three quota places available in each category. This will complete the allocation of all 36 Olympic quota places across the pistol, rifle, skeet and trap disciplines.
The championship will conclude on November 13 with the trap mixed team final, bringing the curtain down on the international sporting event in Doha.
In the lead-up to the championship, Qatar's national shooting team has undertaken a series of training camps and participated in several international and continental competitions, most recently the Asian Games in Japan, where the shooters delivered commendable performances and achieved notable results, proudly representing Qatar.
These competitions formed an important part of the team's preparation programme for the global event, with the technical and administrative staff working to provide the best possible conditions and ensure that the shooters are fully prepared to compete at the highest level.
Doha's hosting of the World Shooting Championship further reinforces Qatar's established position on the international shooting map and strengthens its reputation as a destination capable of staging major sporting events, supported by modern sports facilities, accumulated organizational expertise, and advanced technical and logistical capabilities.