Gulf Today Report


Keeping hopes alive, UAE ace shooter Saif Bin Futtais secured 70 points following the first three rounds of the qualifying stage of the men’s skeet shooting competition at the Asaka Shooting Range in Tokyo on Sunday.

A total of 30 participants including the Emirati will return for the remaining two rounds of the qualifying stage. Two more rounds of 25 each on the second day will decide the six finalists.

Frenchman Eric Delaunay and American Vincent Hancock lead the standings with 75 points. Italian Tammaro Cassandro and Czech Jakub Tomeck scored 74 points each to stay third.

Futtais, who claimed gold at the 2015 World Cup, has to step up the game on Monday.

India’s Angad Vir Singh Bajwa missed two targets out of 75, to be placed 11th on countback. The 25-year-old 2019 Asian Championships gold medallist was tied on 73 with seven other shooters after three rounds of 25 each, and stands a good chance of making it to the six-shooter final.

Angad had scores of 25, 24, 24 in the first three series. Compatriot Mairaj Ahmad Khan, the oldest marksman in the 15-member Indian shooting contingent at the Olympics at 45, shot 71 to be placed 25th out of the 30 shooters in fray.

Veteran shooter Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hasher Al Maktoum grabbed a historic gold in double trap for the UAE at Athens 2004. Later, Sergio Toma became only the second medallist for the nation when he won the bronze in the men’s 81kg event at Rio Olympics 2016.

Experienced judoka Victor Scvortov, one of the top medal hopes for the UAE, will square off against Sweden’s Tommy Macias in a round of 32 clash at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo on Monday.

Scvortov, who competed at Rio 2016, lost to Japan’s world champion Shohei Ono in the third round. Shohei went on to win the gold

Ivan Remarenco, who is another member of the UAE Olympic contingent with medal prospects, will compete in the over 100-kg event of the Games. He will lock horns with Canadian Shady El Nahas on Thursday.

Before heading to Tokyo, Scvortov participated in four competitions including World and Asian Championships, and two Grand Slams in Georgia and Russia. His best result out of the four events was two bronze medals.

Remarenco, who struggled for the past couple of years with back injuries, returned to the mat at the Asia-Oceania Championships in Fujairah in April. He finished fifth in the event.

The 32-year-old won the World Cup in Almaty in 2011 representing Moldova and was Romanian champion in 2012 before joining Toma and Scvortov in the UAE squad in 2013. He won a World Championships bronze in 2014 in the 100kg.

Nasser Al Tamimi, general secretary of the UAE Wrestling and Judo Federation, is confident of the performance of Scvortov and Remarenco.

“They both have progressed well and are in good shape. We are expected to win a medal.”

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, general secretary of the National Olympic Committee, stressed that the participation of UAE athletes in Tokyo gives them the chance to compete against the elite sportspersons of the world.

“Our athletes appreciate the interest and support of our wise leadership that invests in them while giving them a strong motivation to continue to represent the UAE and fly the country’s flag high on the international stage.”

He added: “The instructions of Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the National Olympic Committee, that the participation of our athletes and their distinguished results raises their awareness of representing the country in various forums is noteworthy.”

Ben Sulayem also hailed the keen interest of the President of the National Olympic Committee for all the events of the Olympics.

“His keen follow-up motivates them to move forward and strive to record success and achieve more por the nation.

“The goal of the committee when participating in all sporting events is not only to win medals and titles, but also to leave positive imprints and a unique image of the UAE.”

Meanwhile, the UAE’s international volleyball referee, Hamed Al Rousi, officiated the opening match between Brazil and Tunisia in the men’s competition.

He also refereed the women’s opening match between Kenya and the host country Japan. Rousi is the only Arab referee for volleyball at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.