Doha, November 12 (QNA) - Chairman of the Shotgun Referees Committee at the Doha 2026 World Shooting Championships Abdullah Al Hammadi praised the high technical standards and strong international participation, commending Qatar's organizational and refereeing performance since the event began on November 3.

Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Hammadi said the men's and women's skeet competitions concluded last week, while the trap events wrapped up Thursday. The championships will close Friday with the mixed team trap event.

He welcomed Kuwait's double gold in the men's individual and team trap events on Thursday, along with its Olympic quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, saying the achievement reflected the significant progress of Kuwaiti shooting.

Al Hammadi described the men's individual trap final as a fiercely contested event between Kuwait's Abdulrahman Al Faihan and India's Vivaan Kapoor, who both scored 29 targets before the Kuwaiti shooter won the shoot-off to claim gold and an Olympic quota place.

He said the championships brought together around 1,100 participants from across the world, alongside international, Asian and Qatari referees overseeing competitions in line with the highest technical and officiating standards.

He also highlighted the strong showing by Asian countries, noting that China led the medal standings with 26 medals, followed by India with 13, underscoring Asia's growing standing in international shooting.

Al Hammadi expressed satisfaction with the standard of competition and wished all shooters success in Friday's mixed team trap event, saying he hoped the championships would continue to showcase Qatar's sporting organization and shooting excellence.

For his part, Kuwaiti shooter Abdullah Al Faihan expressed delight at winning gold in both the individual and team men's trap events and securing an Olympic quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

He described the achievement as an important milestone in his career and motivation to pursue further success and represent Kuwait at international competitions.

Al Faihan told QNA that the three-day trap competition featured high technical standards and strong challenges among the world's leading shooters.

He said he hit 121 targets in qualifying to advance to the final. The final was extremely challenging, he added, given the presence of some of the world's top shooters.

However, he stressed, he maintained his focus and confidence throughout the competition to secure gold.

He explained that the shoot-off against the Indian shooter was intense, and he clinched victory on the third target, winning the gold medal and Olympic quota place.

On winning team gold, Al Faihan said his individual performance and high score helped strengthen the team's overall result and secure the title.

He expressed pride in achieving a double victory at the World Championships.

He added that the quota place won Thursday was Kuwait's second in shooting for the 2028 Olympics, following Abdulaziz Al Saad's qualification in the skeet event.

He said this reflected the progress of Kuwaiti shooting and efforts to prepare athletes capable of competing at the highest international level.

Regarding his preparations for the Olympics, Al Faihan said a comprehensive training plan would be developed in coordination with the Kuwait Olympic Committee and Kuwait Shooting Federation.

It will include training camps and international competitions to improve his technical and physical readiness ahead of the Games.

He also praised Qatar's hosting of the championships, saying the country had set an outstanding example in organizing major sporting events.

He said he previously competed in the Gulf Games and Arab Games, and today he sees world-class organization at these championships, both in the management of competitions and the warm reception and hospitality, thanking the Qatar Shooting Federation and the State of Qatar for their outstanding organization and efforts in making this event a success. (QNA)