Sharjah 24 – WAM: Emirati shooter Abdullah Al Ariani highlighted his readiness, as well as the readiness of his colleagues, to participate in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo and raise the Emirati flag.

The 2020 Summer Paralympics are an upcoming major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee. They are scheduled to be held in Tokyo, Japan between 24 August and 5 September 2021.

The team is currently training six hours per day at the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club, as part of a closed training camp that began after Eid Al Adha, he added.

"In shooting, you need to maintain your passion and concentration to reach higher levels. Therefore, maintaining our focus and enthusiasm is a priority," said Al Ariani, who is a winner of four Paralympic medals and is expected to win more in Tokyo.

"My goal is always the first place. My colleagues and I are working hard to achieve that. However, the current competition is somehow unclear, due to many changes to athletes. Many of them have disappeared lately as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and there are many new faces," he added.

"Concerning Emirati shooters who are eligible to participate, they have been part of a training programme for 10 months and participated in the Al Ain World Cup in March, achieving advanced rankings," Al Ariani further added He noted that the team will head to Tokyo on 17th August while thanking the UAE’s leadership for supporting sports and athletes, as well as the UAE Paralympic Committee, chaired by Mohammed Ariana Fadil Al Hamli. He also thanked Thebyan Al Muhair, Secretary-General of the Paralympic Committee, for his continuous monitoring, as well as the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club for hosting the team’s training camp.

"I am proud to have a world record in three categories, and since 2015, I have maintained my position among the top five in the world in several competitions. I have won six to seven international medals each year before competitions were temporarily suspended due to the pandemic," he said in conclusion.