Abdullah Al Rashidi (R) of Kuwait celebrates winning a silver medal with partner Eman Al Shamaa in the skeet mixed team event at the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province on Sept. 28, 2023. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)
60-year-old shooting veteran Abdullah Al Rashidi of Kuwait capped off the Hangzhou Asiad campaign with a gold medal in the men's skeet individual event and a silver in mixed team with partner Eman Al Shamaa.
HANGZHOU, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- 60-year-old shooting veteran Abdullah Al Rashidi of Kuwait, teaming up with Eman Al Shamaa, won the silver medal in the skeet mixed team event of the Hangzhou Asian Games here on Thursday.
The Kuwaiti pair topped the qualifying stage with 149 hits, equaling the qualification world record of the event. In the gold medal match, Kazakhstan duo Eduard Yechshenko and Assem Orynbay hit 40 targets to take the gold, while Al Rashidi and Al Shamaa only shot down 35 to settle for the silver.
It was the second medal for Al Rashidi at the Hangzhou Asiad. He claimed gold in the men's skeet individual event on Wednesday with a prefect 60 hits out of 60 targets, equaling the current world record of the final.
"Today I was too tired because yesterday was a full day," said Al Rashidi.
"When I got back to the hotel yesterday, I had interviews with the TV and many other people until 12 o'clock," the veteran added. "A lot of people were sending me messages, it was too much and I could not sleep. I slept for only three hours."
Abdullah Al Rashidi competes in the final of the men's skeet individual event on Sept. 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)
The silver on Thursday is the 10th Asian Games medal for Al Rashidi, who took part in his first Asiad in 1994. He also participated in seven Olympics and won two bronze medals.
"Today I shot three rounds OK (and) a silver medal is not bad," he said.
India took the men's 10m air pistol team gold with 1,734 points, edging hosts China by one point. Vietnam was placed third with 1,730 points.
Pham Quang Huy from Vietnam triumphed in the men's 10m air pistol individual event with 240.5 points. South Korean shooter Lee Won-ho finished second with 239.4 points. The bronze went to Vladimir Svechnikov of Uzbekistan.
DPR Korea won the women's 10m running target team event, while Zukhra Irnazarova of Kazakhstan won the gold in the individual category. ■