04.09.2016
The Paralympic champion knows he has a target on his back but is staying focused ahead of Rio 2016.
Abdulla managed to beat hot favourite Jonas Jakobsson to win gold in the Mixed 50m Rifle prone SH1. © • Getty Images
By Jake Smith | For the IPC
The Paralympic champion knows he has a target on his back but is staying focused ahead of Rio 2016.
Abdulla managed to beat hot favourite Jonas Jakobsson to win gold in the Mixed 50m Rifle prone SH1. © • Getty Images
By Jake Smith | For the IPC
After tasting gold in London, the United Arab
Emirates’ reigning Paralympic champion, Adbulla Sultan Alaryani is hungry for
more at theRio 2016
Paralympic Games.
The shooter will feature in four disciplines at the
Olympic ShootingCentre in Deodoro and has his eyes fixated on gold.
“My expectation is to be one of the strongest
competitors in all four events R1 [men’s 10m air rifle standing SH1], R3 [mixed
10m air rifle prone SH1], R6 [mixed 50m rifle prone SH1], and R7 [men’s 50m
rifle three positions SH1]. I believe competition will be tough, but my goal is
the gold” Alaryani said.
Alaryani is currently R1 finals world record holder
as well as the R7 qualification world record holder. The Emirati has easily
been one of the most impressive shooters in 2016, winning two gold medals and
one silver at the season opening IPC Shooting World Cup in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, followed by another
gold medal and two silvers at the World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand in March. Alaryani
undeniably has a large target on his back, but if his composure can match his
confidence he will go a long way towards winning.
“My third participation [at a Paralympic Games] is different this time because I am the current champion and gold
medallist from London. The challenge is now bigger as I have to achieve more
and continue on as the champion,” he said.
“Of course I have a good base in balancing my
focus, but my priority leans more towards the three positions over prone. The
name of this game is giving me the encouragement to be strong, but controlling
my nerves is not easy at all - experience will be the key player.”
Alaryani was part of the UAE able-bodied shooting team at
the Sydney 2000 Olympics, but was left paralysed from the waist down after a
serious car accident a year later. Since then, he has played a huge role in
raising awareness for athletes with impairments and is heavily involved in the
development ofshooting Para sport.
“It has been a big transition [from Olympian to
Paralympian], but I found it true that 'where there is a will, there is a way’.
“As the first Arabic shooter registered with the
IPC, it has been interesting to observe the development and be part of the
growth of the disabled Games in general and shooting in
particular. And now I'm proud to be not only an athlete, but also a coach for
four members of the UAE shooting team, where three of them are also going to Rio” Alaryani said.
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Sport fans from around the world can now buy their
Paralympic tickets for Rio 2016 from authorised ticket resellers (ATRs)
The IPC’s Global ATR is Jet Set Sports, and Rio 2016 tickets and packages can be purchased on theCoSport website.
Visa International is the exclusive payment card
and the official payment system for the Paralympic Games.
Posted by Thom Erik Syrdahl
Source - https://www.paralympic.org/news
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