UAE Open Shooting Championship Expands Talent Development Through School Participation
The UAE Shooting Federation's second domestic round demonstrates a comprehensive approach to identifying and nurturing emerging shooting talent across educational institutions and sporting bodies.
The UAE Shooting Federation has concluded the UAE Open 10-metre air rifle and air pistol championship, hosted by Sharjah Club from 9th to 11th October 2026. This second of eight rounds in the 2026-2027 domestic season has established itself as a cornerstone initiative in broadening access to competitive shooting across the Emirates.
The championship attracted 280 entries spanning junior and beginner categories, with beginner participation reaching 257 competitors. The beginner divisions demonstrated remarkable engagement, particularly among junior shooters from schools, clubs, academies and sporting bodies. In the beginner air rifle category, 153 girls and 30 boys competed, whilst the air pistol events welcomed 52 girls and 22 boys.
By incorporating shooters from educational institutions alongside those from traditional sporting clubs, the federation has created a comprehensive talent identification framework. This integrated approach enables technical staff to observe emerging competitors across multiple environments and track their development with greater precision throughout the season’s subsequent rounds.
The championship culminated with exceptional performances from junior competitors. In the junior girls’ air rifle, Fatima Obaid Al Suwaidi secured victory with 413.5 points, followed by Malak Ali Al Bashar and Khawla Badr Al Raeesi. Layla Basim Al Naqbi claimed the junior girls’ air pistol title with 349 points. Among junior boys, Abdulrazzaq Al Shardoub topped the air rifle standings, whilst Mohammed Al Hassan Jaafar led the air pistol category with 337 points.
The beginner categories produced equally noteworthy results. Alia Abdullah Al Shamsi triumphed in the girls’ air rifle with 102.8 points in an exceptionally close competition, whilst Asad Ali Yassin dominated the boys’ air rifle with 103.3 points. Fatima Aref Mohammed secured the girls’ air pistol title with 91 points, and Rayan Mohammed Kusaiba led the boys’ air pistol standings with 93 points.
Mohammed Suhail Al Neyadi, President of the UAE Shooting Federation, emphasised the strategic significance of this expanded participation model. He articulated that the federation’s objective extends far beyond isolated competitive moments, instead establishing schools and academies as vital gateways within a coherent developmental pathway. By distributing the season across eight competitive rounds, the federation enables technical decision making grounded in observable consistency and measurable progress rather than singular performances.
This championship series represents a carefully constructed progression, commencing with accessible participation opportunities, advancing through identification of consistently improving competitors, and culminating in guidance towards specialised training levels. The federation envisions this methodology as transforming annual championships into interconnected stages of a comprehensive pathway, substantially broadening the foundation of Emirati shooting talent and establishing sustainable feeders for national team development.
Source: WAM