Kuwait City, Kuwait, May 17, 2022: Saudi border guard Atallah Al-Anazi was left shaking his head in disbelief after Emirati rival Ahmed Al-Ameeri gifted him the gold medal in the 10 metre Air Pistol Men’s competition at the 3rd GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Games Kuwait 2022 on Tuesday, May 17.
After hundreds of shots, it all went down to the wire with the last two men standing from a field of 23, squinting down the sights of their guns at the Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Shooting Complex.
The field had been whittled down in a process of elimination. Eight athletes began the final round and after 30 shots, the bronze medallist had been found – Oman’s Sulaiman Al Rahbi.
It left Saudi Arabia’s Al-Anazi and Al-Ameeri from the United Arab Emirates facing off in the final shootout with the first man to reach 16 points to be declared the gold medallist.
The Saudi shooter took the ascendancy quickly and led 14-8. If it was a tennis match, then his opponent was facing three match points. But the Special Forces officer from the Emirates refused to give up and levelled the score with his next three shots as the final reached a crescendo.
“It was crazy out there and I thought I had lost it after my final shot was way off target. I just couldn’t believe it when his last shot was worse than mine,” said an elated Al-Anazi, who is an Olympian having represented Saudi at the 2016 Rio Games.
From raising his hands in resignation and frustration, it all changed in a matter of seconds for the Saudi shooter who scored 8.9 in his final attempt. With scores usually in the range of 10, Al-Anazi thought he would have to settle for the silver medal, but to his shock, his Emirati opponent could only manage an 8.6.
“Perhaps Allah wanted him to win,” said a disbelieving Al-Ameeri. “I came back well to level the score and I felt the gold was mine, but it wasn’t to be.”
The victory is vindication of Saudi Arabia’s push to develop sports with shooting one of the beneficiaries. But there is still a long way to go according to Al-Anazi’s South Korean coach Lee Soung Joo.
“We only have a squad of 17 in the pistol event. Rifle has 12. So there is a lot of work to be done, but this gold medal is a big boost, although in the end, he was very lucky,” smiled coach Lee.
