Muscat – Oman’s shooter Said al Khatri is eyeing a standout performance as he makes his Olympics debut in Paris.

Al Khatri arrived in Châteauroux, France, on Sunday to participate in a warm-up camp in preparation for the men’s trap event. 

Determined to leave a significant mark on his first Olympic appearance, Al Khatri is focused on achieving high scores. Competing against several world-ranked shooters, he will surely gain valuable technical experience and essential skills to excel at the highest level.

The preliminary qualifications for the men’s trap shooting event are scheduled for July 29 and 30 at the Châteauroux Shooting Centre. Shooters will be divided into groups, with the top-ranked participants advancing to the final rounds to compete for medals.

Al Khatri is honing his skills under the guidance of Italian coach Luca Marini, who recently joined the national team’s coaching staff. Marini is renowned for his expertise, having coached numerous top teams and shooters. This is the first Olympics where shooters can train at the Châteauroux Shooting Center more than ten days before the competition starts. 

Located 200 kilometres south of Paris, the centre is the largest of its kind in Europe, providing Al Khatri with a prime opportunity to train at top-notch facilities and acclimatise to the Olympic atmosphere while also getting accustomed to his rifle and other environmental factors.

Al Khatri’s participation in the Paris Olympics follows his successful fulfilment of all requirements and points needed to obtain the Olympic invitation card. The positive relations of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) with the Olympic Solidarity Committee and international sports federations also played a role. 

A prominent shooter on the national team, Al Khatri has achieved significant accomplishments and titles in his career. He won the Kuwait Amir’s Open Shooting Championship last year and was ranked among the top eight shooters in Asia advancing to the Asian finals and securing seventh place in the 2023 Asian Cup held alongside the open championship in Kuwait.

Meanwhile, Ali Salim al Busafi, Oman’s Chef de Mission, arrived in Paris on Monday to ensure all preparations and arrangements are in place for the arrival of national team representatives in the coming days. Al Busafi will attend the first meeting of Chefs de Mission at the Olympic Village on Tuesday. The meeting will cover various topics, including accommodation arrangements for Oman’s delegation members and requirements for the official Olympic opening ceremony on Friday. 

Other relevant matters, such as collecting accreditation cards for all delegation participants, will also be discussed.