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HOTSHOT Azza Al Qassimi is aiming for Olympic glory and will be stepping out at the 2012 London Summer Games leading the kingdom’s competitors and representatives at the opening ceremony.
The 27-year-old is also the only Arab woman in the region, let alone Bahrain, to be competing in the 50m rifle contest featuring prone (lying down), standing and kneeling positions. There are two other girls, one from Qatar and one from Kuwait, also competing in the shooting events but in the 10m category.
Al Qassimi has been training more than six hours for five-days-a-week at the Bahrain Defence Force military shooting range in Sakhir and this week travelled to Germany with her Bulgarian coach, Jordan Mitov, to a specialist camp for an intensive targeting session.
She said: “I have worked so hard to reach this level. It has been my dream to be a part of the Olympics and God gave me what I worked for. And, to be chosen to carry the flag is such an honour. Everyone is thrilled for me, especially my father Ali Abdulla, my mother and my four sisters.
“I’ve been taking weekends off to spend time with them but now it’s full on. At camp we have no time for breaks – it’s a lot of hard work. But I’m used to it and determined to succeed and have already trained in China, Thailand and many other locations.
“My training involves spending a lot of time with my rifle and practicing different positions. I also exercise regularly, working on my fitness levels and breathing. The rifle is heavy as it weighs six-and-a-half kilos.”
Recently engaged to 30-year-old Ahmed Salem Mubarak, Al Qassimi aimed at pursuing a career in the police force after graduating high school in West Riffa.
It wasn’t until her rifle training that she realised her true sporting calling. Her instructor took notice of her talent and recruited her along with 20 others for a more advanced weaponry class to pinpoint which candidates could move onto the Shooting Sports Association.
The Ministry of Interior employee said: “I wanted to join the police force ever since I spotted an officer at work as a young child. After high school I successfully applied thinking, if it happens, great, otherwise I would have concentrated on gaining a place at university.
“My parents were very supportive of the idea as they believe in giving their children the chance to make their own life decisions.
“Now I can’t imagine myself not shooting at the range. Even if I’m bored or feeling down, I can go to the shooting range and clear my head. It’s a very competitive sport and I truly enjoy it. But did I ever think I would get into the sport? No, but I’m glad I did!”
According to Coach Mitov, it was Al Qassimi’s outstanding performance at the 10th Arab Championship in Kuwait and at the Amir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad International Shooting Grand Prix in March of this year that helped win her a coveted spot at the London Summer Olympics 2012.
She brought home four gold medals and a silver putting her in the top spot for Arab women everywhere, and second place internationally in her category.
Mitov said: “She needed to achieve a score of 555 out of 600 to qualify and during the championship she landed a score of 575. I was so proud of her.
“She was 21 when I first started coaching her and we started from scratch. Seven years later she has truly grown and it was both our dream to get her to the Olympics.
“She is training hard and making headway in improving her score. It is a very big thing that she will be carrying the flag. Her team mates and I are extremely proud of her.”
Both Al Qassimi and her coach remain focused. So far in practice she has achieved a score of 579 and while at the camp in Germany aims to continue consistently hitting the 580 mark and improving.
Al Qassimi will be joining more than 140 women from all over the world in the Olympic shooting event which will be held at the Royal Artillery Barracks in London from July 28 to August 6. Al Qassimi’s qualification round will be held on August 4, followed, hopefully with a medal chance in the final showdown.
