Skeet shooting: Pakistan gets one wildcard entry for London Olympics

Four Pakistanis who have achieved Maximum Qualifying Scores during international competition will compete for slot.

KARACHI: Pakistan skeet shooters got a big boost on Monday when they were awarded a wildcard entry for London Olympics shooting competition, the National Rifle Association of Pakistan (NRAP) announced.           

"We have received a communique from International Sports Shooting Federation today for the allocation of one wildcard entry for London Olympics," Executive Vice-President NRAP Razi Ahmed Khan told APP.

"It’s good news that Pakistan's lone shooter will be featuring in the skeet shooting event," Khan said.

He said four Pakistanis, including Khurram Inam, Ahmed Sultan, Amin Karamat and Abdul Sattar, have achieved the Maximum Qualifying Scores (MQS) during the international competition.

The NRAP official said that MQS is the main criteria for picking a shooter for Olympics. Since four skeet shooters have achieved MQS, the best one has to be picked for Olympics.

Khan said NRAP will be conducting one-day trials among the top four to select the best shooter to represent Pakistan in London Olympic Games being held in July.

He said the trials will be held at Pakistan Navy International Shooting Range this month. The date will be finalised in due course of time.

Khurram Inam, who had the honor of representing Pakistan in the 2000 Sydney and the 2004 Athens Olympics, scored 116/125 points during the ISSF World Shooting Championship held in Munich last year.

Abdul Sattar of Pakistan Navy secured ninth spot in the skeet event with a score of 119/125 in the Asian Shooting Championship held in Doha, Qatar last year.

"It will be interesting and intriguing trials and the best shooter will earn the right to figure in London Olympics," he commented.

Double Olympian Khurram Inam has recently won the National Skeet crown in Jhelum.