Wednesday 30 / October / 2024
MUSCAT: Oman’s shooter Said Al Khatri is set to make his debut at the 33rd Summer Olympic Games in Paris 2024, with high hopes for a decent performance.
Al Khatri, who arrived in Châteauroux, France, on Sunday, is participating in a warm-up camp in preparation for the Men's Trap event. Determined to leave a mark on his first Olympic appearance, Al Khatri is focused on achieving high scores and excelling in his participation.
Competing against several world-ranked shooters, he aims to gain valuable technical experience and essential skills to perform at the highest level.
The preliminary qualifications for the Men's Trap event are scheduled for July 29 and 30 at the Châteauroux Shooting Centre. Shooters will be divided into groups, with the top-ranked participants advancing to the final rounds to compete for medals.
Under the guidance of Italian coach Luca Marini, who recently joined the national team’s coaching staff, Al Khatri is honing his skills.
Marini is renowned for his expertise, having coached numerous top teams and shooters. This is the first Olympics where shooters can train at the Châteauroux Shooting Centre more than ten days before the competition starts.
Located 200km south of Paris, the centre is the largest of its kind in Europe, providing Al Khatri with a prime opportunity to train in top-notch facilities and acclimatise to the Olympic atmosphere while also getting accustomed to his rifle and other factors.
Al Khatri's participation in the Paris Olympics follows his successful fulfillment of all requirements and points needed to obtain the Olympic invitation card.
The positive relations of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) with the Olympic Solidarity Committee and international sports federations also played a role.
A prominent shooter on the national team, Al Khatri has achieved significant accomplishments and titles in his career. He won first place in the Kuwait Amir’s Open Shooting Championship last year and was ranked among the top eight shooters in Asia, advancing to the Asian finals and securing seventh place in the 2023 Asian Cup held alongside the open championship in Kuwait.
Elsewhere, Ali Salim Al Busafi, Oman’s Chef de Mission, arrived late on Monday to ensure all preparations and arrangements are in place for the arrival of national team representatives in the coming days.
Al Busafi will attend the first meeting of Chefs de Mission at the Olympic Village on Tuesday. The meeting will cover various topics, including accommodation arrangements for Oman’s delegation members and requirements for the official Olympic opening ceremony on Friday.
