Al Ain to host Middle East's first World Shooting Para Championships

Tournament to be held in November 2022 at the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club

The Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club hosted the Asian Shotgun Championships in 2014. Delores Johnson / The National

The Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club has been awarded the hosting rights for the eighth World Shooting Para Sport Championships in November 2022, the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) announced on Thursday.

It is the first time the championships are being held in the Middle East. It is also the third world championships to be staged in Asia – after Seoul 2002 and Cheongju 2018, both in South Korea.

The venue at the Garden City has hosted several shooting para sports World Cups since 2015 and many international able-bodied shooting events, including the 2019 ISSF Shotgun World Cup Final and the 2014 Asian Shotgun Championships.

The Al Ain 2022 World Championships will be organised by the Zayed Higher Organisation for Persons with Disabilities.

“It is fantastic news for the shooting Para sport family that Al Ain will host the first ever World Championships in the Middle East,” Tyler Anderson, senior manager of World Shooting Para Sport, said.

“This will be the first major event after the Tokyo Paralympic Games and an important step in the build-up to Paris 2024.

“The Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club and the Zayed Higher Organisation have been a valuable partner of the sport for almost a decade and have built up a reputation for hosting excellent shooting Para sport events.

“We are thrilled to award UAE the opportunity to welcome the world to Al Ain in 2022.”

Abdulla Al Kamali, executive director of the Zayed Higher Organisation, described the announcement as a unique occasion, with the UAE celebrating the golden jubilee National Day in December.

“We are honoured to host the 2022 World Championship in Al Ain, filled with hope that the world becomes safer, and of successful participation of all the athletes from all around the world,” he said.

“We have had the pleasure to partner with World Shooting Para Sport for many years. In addition, we are thrilled to be awarded with the opportunity of hosting this historic event."

The last edition of the World Championships took place in Sydney, Australia in 2019 with 283 athletes from 55 countries.