Shooting Para sport stars looking to close the year in style at the Al Ain World Cup

The action returns to Al Ain as the final shooting Para sport World Cup takes place in the United Araba Emirates.

Long a staple of the international calendar, Al Ain will again play host to an exhilarating nine days of competition that again see the stars of the scene bring the year to a close.

Building on Worlds success

It has been a full calendar year since Al Ain hosted the World Championships, and this time around athletes will return after months of regional and World Championship competitions.

It was the French contingent who achieved the most success at the Lima Worlds, and they will have seven individuals representing them this time around. Topping the excitement charts will be Tanguy de la Forest, who collected four more gold medals in September.

A veteran now of the circuit, de la Forest will be aiming to add to his glittering medal collection in the same way that he did last time in UAE, where he tasted R9 glory. His teammates include the always exciting Cedric Fevre and Dider Richard, as well as 23-year-old Pierre Guillaume-Sage.

Italy hoping for glory

It was a stunning couple of weeks at the World Championships for the Italian team, and they will have six athletes representing them this time around.

Having swept the board in Para Trap, a new-look team will be hoping to build on success in the latest tournament. 

Will there be smiles on home soil?

It is no surprise at this point that UAE have huge hopes once again for a sport their nation is embracing more and more. With this the seventh consecutive year that the nation has held an international Shooting Para Sport event, this World Cup provides another chance to lead the way.

They will have the biggest team with 14 representatives, and their position will be bolstered by notable talents including 2022 medal winner Abdulla Sultan Alaryani. Alaryani was a standout performer across both R6 and R7 and given the opportunity, he will be a favourite to do the same all over again this time around.

In total, 20 nations will be represented, with 82 athletes preparing to end 2023 in style.

How to Follow

Live results will be available across the World Shooting Para Sport website. Also keep your eyes on our official social media channels for information on schedules and standout imagery from across the competition!

What’s next?

A break is on the cards before we head into a Paralympic Games year! New Delhi will be the host for the next World Cup in March, and you can absolutely guarantee that a nation that has produced stars like Avani Lekhara will be ready to put on a magical competition.

It will begin a frantic few months that sees Championships in Spain before the Games in France. The complete 2024 season calendar can be found here.