Kuwait’s archery team secured a total of five medals at the third West Asian Archery Championship held in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday. The haul included three gold medals, one silver, and one bronze, highlighting the team’s strong performance among participants from seven regional countries.
The championship, which began on October 15 and runs through Wednesday, brings together 72 male and female archers representing Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. Competitions are taking place in both recurve (Olympic) and compound archery across individual, team, and mixed team categories.
Kuwait’s successes included gold in the compound men’s team event, achieved by Abdullah Malallah, Ahmed Al-Shatti, and Bader Al-Shallahi. The women’s recurve team also won gold, with Suad Al-Bahar, Reem Al-Naqib, and Noor Al-Sharhan securing top honors. In the mixed compound team event, Abdullah Malallah paired with Hanan Al-Mayas to claim gold, while the mixed recurve team of Ali Al-Zaid and Reem Al-Naqib earned bronze. The men's recurve team, consisting of Ali Al-Zaid, Saad Al-Baloud, and Abdulaziz Bushahri, finished second to take the silver medal.
Omar Al-Shatti, the team manager, attributed the success to the athletes’ consistent high-level performances and expressed confidence in their ability to contend for top spots throughout the competition. He dedicated the team’s achievement to Kuwait’s political leadership, including His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, as well as the Kuwaiti people. Al-Shatti also commended the Kuwait Shooting Sport Club’s board for their support in preparing the archers.
Looking ahead, Kuwait’s team was set to compete in two additional gold medal matches on Wednesday: Abdullah Malallah in the men’s individual compound final and Hanan Al-Mayas in the women’s individual compound final. The team manager expressed hope that these opportunities would further enhance Kuwait’s medal tally at the championship.
The West Asian Archery Championship serves as a key regional platform for archers to showcase their skills in both Olympic and compound disciplines, with participation from several national teams across West Asia.