Doha: The curtain fell Saturday on the inaugural Meqdam Shooting Championship, organized by the National Service Academy in partnership with the Qatar Shooting and Archery Association (QSAA) and the Military Sports Federation. Held over a 12-day stretch at Lusail Shooting Range, the event featured the 25-meter pistol competition, the 50-meter rifle competition, and the shotgun sporting event.
According to Qatar News Agency, the shotgun finals witnessed fierce and thrilling competition, culminating in the triumph of marksman Hamad Mohammed Al Mannai, representing National Service Class 16, who clinched first place and the gold medal, along with a financial award of QR 500,000. Nasser Abdulaziz Al Nasser, representing Class 12, secured second place and the silver medal, receiving a prize of QR 250,000, while Saoud Ali Al Janahi, representing Class 10, claimed third place and the bronze medal, earning QR 100,000.
Meanwhile, Badr Kifah Al Yousuf, from the Ministry of Finance and a graduate of 2022 (Class 19), clinched the prestigious "Sniper" title after amassing the highest overall score across all three disciplines. In the 25-meter pistol event, Nasser Salem Al Sunaid, affiliated with the Ministry of Defense and a graduate of 2017 (Class 7), captured the gold medal and a financial award of QR 500,000. Mohammed Abdullah Al Nuaimi, affiliated with the Ministry of Interior and a graduate of 2019 (Class 11), secured the silver medal and a prize of QR 250,000, while Abdullah Ibrahim Taimour, from Qatar Chemical Company Limited (Q-Chem) and a graduate of 2016 (Class 4), seized the bronze medal and a financial award of QR 100,000.
In the 50-meter rifle event, Hamad Saad Al Jassim, representing Qatar Airways, secured the gold medal and a financial award of QR 500,000. Abdulaziz Thamer Al Turki, representing the Ministry of Defense, clinched the silver medal and a prize of QR 250,000, while Badr Kifah Al Yousuf, representing the Ministry of Finance, earned the bronze medal and a financial award of QR 100,000.
The tournament drew robust participation, capped off by a strong finish that underscored the pivotal role of the championship in bolstering Qatar's shooting sports and cultivating national sporting distinction. President of QSAA, Dr. Mishaal Ibrahim Al Nasr, expressed his satisfaction with the Meqdam event, which culminated in the best finish in terms of technical and organizational aspects, hailing the formidable performances delivered by the marksmen in the finals.
Dr. Al Nasr highlighted that the support extended by His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al-Thani, significantly spurred the participants as the event accomplished its objectives. He pointed out that the first tournament featured a record turnout from graduates of the National Service, underscoring that the competitions were marked by intense rivalry and a high spirit of sportsmanship, which lent significant momentum and technical vigor to this prominent sporting event.
For his part, Secretary-General of QSAA and Director of the Meqdam Shooting Championship, Jassim Shaheen Al Sulaiti, emphasized that this debut tournament achieved impressive success at all levels, as well as fulfilled the key objectives for which it was held. The presence of His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs at the final, along with the coronation of the top 30 winners, stood as a tribute to all participants and a mark of honor for the championship's organizing committee, Al Sulaiti underlined.
Marksman Badr Kifah Al Yousuf, the overall winner of the Meqdam Shooting Championship and the Sniper Cup, voiced his profound satisfaction with the results he achieved in the inaugural championship, emphasizing that the technical and organizational standards of the first edition were truly exceptional. Al Yousuf anticipated that the upcoming edition would witness greater participation, given the extraordinary success of the first edition. He underlined that his participation in the inaugural edition, along with the triumph he achieved, would remain a source of significant momentum as he continues his career in pursuit of the best results in upcoming tournaments. Al Yousuf extended his thanks to the organizing committee for providing an outstanding atmosphere for participants, which contributed to elevating the competitive levels.