Former Asian Games gold medallist Masoud Hamad Saleh defeated his younger brother Rashid in a shoot-off to win Skeet gold at the Amir Cup Shooting and Archery Championships yesterday.
In a thrilling contest at the Losail Shooting Range, the brothers were tied at a score of 54 at the end of the 60-shot final round.
Both kept their nerve till the two rounds of four shots each in the shoot-off. In the third round of four shots, Masoud hit all targets while Rashid missed one. Saeed Abusharib Hamad, who won the Trap gold last week, finished third.
“The competition was very tough,” said Masoud.
“It is a nice feeling to win the title and take part in such a prestigious competition like the Amir Cup. Events like this will help us stay focused for international competitions coming up in the future,” the 2002 Asian Games gold medallist said.
Masoud was all praise for his two-time Olympian brother.
“Rashid is a very good shooter and a tough competitor. He has won many international medals and today also he was brilliant,” Masoud said.
Rashid represented Qatar at the 2008 Games in Beijing and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. He is also in the race to qualify for the Tokyo Games next year.
“I took shooting because of my elder brother. He has won many medals at the Asian level. I have learnt a lot over the years from him. He has passed a lot of tricks on to me,” said the 34-year-old Rashid.
London Olympics bronze medallist Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah failed to qualify for the final, as he finished the qualification round with a score of 113 in 10th spot.
In the women’s section, Hajar Mohamed put up a splendid display to outperform Reem al-Sharshani. Hajar scored 53 from her round of 60 shots, while Reem could hit only 42.
Talking about her competition with Reem, Hajar said: “We started off shooting together and represented Qatar together in many competitions. We also push each other always and today too it was a close competition.
“Pressure is always there especially in the finals, but I stayed focused and won the gold today,” said Hajar.
Reem also felt the competition was very tough.
“It was a very tough competition. The flight of the targets was not consistent as it was a windy day,” the silver medallist said.
Amal Ahmed al-Rafea came third with a score of 36.
President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani graced the prize-distribution ceremony.




Gold-medallist Hajar Mohamed (centre), silver-medallist Reem al-Sharshani (left) and bronze-medallist Amal Ahmed al-Rafea pose on the women’s Skeet podium of the Amir Cup Shooting and Archery Championships yesterday.
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