RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s tent-pegging team has won the fourth edition of the ITPF World Cup event held in George, South Africa, with elite teams from around the world competing.
The tournament, which ran from Aug. 23-26, involved riders from the Kingdom, Jordan, Yemen, South Africa, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Norway and Oman.
On the individual level, Saudi rider Hassan Omar Asiri was crowned world champion, while the third place was won by his teammate, Abdul-Wahhab Asiri.
The Saudi team presented an outstanding performance during the competition at the individual and team levels. It placed first in the sword run, second in the spear run, and second in the hanging and relay race. Hassan Omar Asiri came second in the sword run and in the hanging and relay race.
The Saudi national team was represented by Al-Fursan Rashid Al-Marri, Muhdal Al-Qahtani, Abdul-Wahhab Asiri, Hassan Omar Asiri and Mishaal Al-Shammari. Their training was supervised by international coach Muhannad Al-Raishan Al-Yami.
The national team qualified for the World Cup finals last January through the qualifying tournament that was held in Egypt.
Prince Abdullah Bin Fahd Al-Saud, president of the Arab Equestrian Federation and Saudi Equestrian Federation, congratulated King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the Saudi sporting achievement.
He said: “What has been achieved today is a reflection of the great interest that Saudi sports in general and equestrianism, in particular, enjoy from the wise leadership and with continuous follow-up from Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, minister of sports and chairman of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee for all equestrian activities.”
He congratulated the riders of the Saudi team for their work and effort, adding: “Today we are reaping the fruits of the great interest that peg picking has enjoyed in the past period and the effort that our heroic knights made in qualifying for the World Cup and preparing for it.”
