By Armstrong Vas
Doha: Rio-bound Qatari shooter Rashid Salih Hamad Al Athba (pictureed) is looking for a perfect boost to his Olympic Games preparation by clinching a gold at the Qatar Open Shotgun Championship.
The 28-year-old is eyeing the top and will not settle for anything less at the week-long championship which begins today at the Losail Shooting range.
“If I win a gold medal at this championship, it will be a shot in the arm for my Rio Games preparations. I must take the gold medal, as this is my range,” Rashid said while talking to reporters ahead of the championship.
“I am ready Inshallah for this competition, I am hopeful of doing well at the Qatar Open Shotgun championship.”
“I think this competition will be very strong, as there are many world champions and Olympic champions, they came from Italy, Cyprus, and several other countries, so it will be very strong competition.”
Rashid said he is getting into the right groove ahead of the games.
“My preparation have started long back. There are so many training camps and too much pressure. This is the first competition after I got the quota place in India. Next month, I will participate in the World Cup in Cyprus,” added Rashid, who first represented Qatar at the 2008 Olympic Games in the Skeet event as a 20-year-old rookie.
“I hope to win something in Rio. I hope to do very well at the Games and you will see in Brazil, hope to get some medal there,” he added.The Peninisula
