Muscat: Oman’s shooter Said al Khatri will aim for top show in his debut Olympic presence in Paris. Al Khatri arrived in Châteauroux city, France, on Sunday to undergo training for his latest preparations for the Men's Trap event. He will compete against several world-ranked shooters, providing him with an ideal environment to gain technical experience and required skills.
The preliminary qualifications for Men’s Trap Shooting event will take place on July 29 and 30 at the Châteauroux Shooting Center. Shooters will be divided into several groups, with the top-ranked shooters advancing to the final rounds to compete for the Olympic medals.
Al Khatri will be trained under the watchful eyes of the Italian coach, Luca Marini, who recently joined the national shooting team. Marini is well known for his expertise in the shooting sport, having coached renowned teams and shooters. This is the first time in the Olympics that shooters are allowed to train at the Châteauroux Shooting Center more than ten days before the competition. The centre, located 200 km south of Paris, is the largest of its kind in Europe, offering Al Khatri an excellent opportunity to train in top-notch facilities and acclimate to the Olympic atmosphere.
The attendance of Al Khatri at the Paris Olympics came after he met all the requirements and points needed to obtain the Olympic invitation. Additionally, the positive relations of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) with the Olympic Solidarity Committee and international sports federations played a role. Al Khatri is a prominent shooter on the national team who managed to achieve numerous significant accomplishments and titles in his sporting career. He had won first place in the Kuwait Emir’s Open Shooting Championship last year and qualified among the top eight shooters in Asia and advanced to the Asian finals and secured seventh place in the 2023 Asian Cup held alongside the open championship in Kuwait, among other achievements.
Meanwhile, Ali bin Salim al Busafi, Oman’s chief de mission, arrived on Monday to ensure all preparations and arrangements are in place ahead of the arrival of national team representatives in the coming days. Al Busafi will participate in the first meeting of chief de missions, which will be held at the Olympic Village on Tuesday. The meeting is expected to discuss various topics related to accommodation arrangements for Oman's delegation and requirements for the official Olympic opening ceremony which is scheduled on Friday. Other relevant matters will be reviewed in the meeting including the timing for collecting accreditation cards for all delegation participants.
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