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Ayesha Al Shamshi also made it onto the podium after winning the bronze medal
It was a proud moment for UAE Paralympic shooter Ayesha Al Mehairi as she won two medals including her first ever international gold medal at the ongoing Parasport World Cup in shooting at Chateauroux 2022.
Al Mehairi, a trainee at the Dubai Club for People of Determination, teamed up with Saeed Alblooshi for an impressive 17-15 win over Italian veteran pairing Pamela Novaglio and Andrea Liverani in the R11 – 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team SH2. Liverani is a bronze medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in the Mixed R4 – 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2.
The UAE shooters, trailing 9-15, made an incredible comeback to surprise everyone and take the gold.
“This is something special. It is also a proud moment for me and the whole UAE team to hear the national anthem on the podium. We focused on doing well and doing our best. It was an exciting final and I am very happy that we kept our composure and made it through,” said Al Mehairi, who made history and became the first Emirati woman in shooting to qualify for the Paralympics in 2020.
Al Mehairi’s training partner at the Dubai Club, Ayesha Al Shamshi, also made it onto the podium after winning the bronze medal with partner Abdulla Alahbabi in the same event. They defeated the Kazakh pair of Aisulu Jumabayeva and Aidos Zhylkyshinov of Kazakhstan 16-12 in the bronze medal match.
On the opening day, the UAE team (1865.9) consisting of Al Mehairi, AlBlooshi and Alahbabi won bronze in the R4 – Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2. France (1882.7) and Italy (1881.9) captured gold and silver.
Hailing the efforts of the Dubai Club medalists, Thani Juma Berregad, Chairman of the Dubai Club for People of Determination, said the shooters’ outstanding result was the result of hard work and effort at all levels.
“The participation of the players in this important championship is part of the club’s plan with the aim of qualifying for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris,” he said.
“We at Dubai Club for People of Determination have set goals for the trainees and players and continue to motivate them to accept and overcome challenges to raise the flag of the country. I wish and hope that these shooters continue to bring glory to the country,” said Berregad.