20th Fazza Shooting Championship to begin from March 15

The 20th Fazza Championship for Shooting–Saktoun Rifle, which is open to Emiratis, UAE residents and GCC nationals, will kick-off with training sessions from March 15–17 at the Fazza Shooting Range in Al Ruwayyah, Dubai.

The Fazza Championship for Shooting, organised and supervised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre (HHC), is divided into six different categories seniors, men, women, and juniors (Boys and Girls) and falling plates. In order to preserve the heritage aspect of the sport, all participants are strictly required to compete using the traditional Saktoun rifle, which is a traditional weapon renowned for its accuracy and was used in the past for fishing and hunting, as well as during wars.

The main championship will be held from March 18-21 at the same venue after the three-day practice sessions. The men’s and seniors category will take place from March 18-19 while the juniors and women’s competitions will be held on March 19.

Qualifications in the ‘falling plates’ competition will be held on March 20 while the championship in women’s category and the rest of the junior competitions (boys and girls), along with the finals for the women’s and junior categories (boys and girls) and ‘Falling Plates’ Finals will all be held on March 21.

Souad Ibrahim Darwish, HHC Director of Championships, underlined the importance of conducting training sessions prior to the main competitions not only to prepare the participants but also to upgrade the level for them to compete with highly skilled shooters who have been part of this championship.

 “The Fazza Championship for Shooting – Saktoun Rifle is a unique tournament because it brings all members of the family, from grandparents to parents and children, together on one platform to take part in the different categories of the tournament, which we may not see in any other tournament in the world,” she underscored.

“This shooting championship has grown remarkably since its inception, particularly among UAE and Omani nationals.

 “The annual growth rate over the past 19 years in the open championship ranged between 15 and 20 per cent in the number of contestants,” she added.

The championship is notable for the large number of participants it attracts in the women’s category, as well as the sizeable number of participants from the Gulf States, particularly the Sultanate of Oman, who are known for their exceptional skill in handling the Saktoun rifle.

Brigadier General Mohammed Obaid Al Muhairi, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the tournament, said they wanted to hold training exercises before the two main tournament to allow participants to register and get acquainted on the shooting range before the competition officially begins.

He added: “The championship also aims to identify promising young talents in order to groom them to become future champions in shooting and enable their participation in regional and international championships including the Olympics.”

The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre is the foremost resource and the most credible reference on the conservation and propagation of national heritage in the UAE.