JEDDAH, 20 April 2007 — Every person is told during his childhood to aim high. Be it in getting good grades at school or in making a career choice. When a person combines this characteristic with a will to aim true, then a shooter is born. Then practicing the old adage of practice makes perfect, he can definitely go for gold.
Saudi Arabia’s Saeid Al-Mutairi did just that as he aimed high and true to stand tall in skeet shooting. He now wants to popularize the sport in the Kingdom, saying, “Hunting and shooting go hand-in hand, and one’s hobby can become a sporting passion with the athlete always in pursuit of excellence.”
Skeet is a recreational and competitive activity where participants attempt to shoot clay disks flung into the air at high speed from a variety of angles. It is an Olympic and international sport, with a little variation in rules.
In Olympic Skeet, there is a random delay of between 0 to 3 seconds after the shooter has called for the target. Shooters are also required to hold their guns so that the gun butt is at mid-torso level until the target appears.
The firearm of choice is usually a high quality shotgun, although many shooters still use inexpensive semi-auto and pump action shotguns. The use of clay targets has replaced the more traditional target of live birds, as a cheaper, humane and more reliable alternative, one reason they are also called clay pigeons.
The event is in part meant to simulate the action of bird hunting. The shooter shoots from 7 positions on a semi-circle, and an 8th position halfway between stations 1 and 7. There are two houses that hold devices known as “traps” that launch the targets, one at each corner of the semi-circle.
It was not out of the blue that Saeid took to the sport. He was taken on hunting trips by his father and brothers in Riyadh. What was once a hobby, has now become a sporting pastime. The cycle is now complete with Saeid imparting to his children a similar education in hunting, hoping that they too would develop a fascination for skeet shooting.
Born on Sept. 23, 1968, Saeid today is one of the best Saudi skeet shooters. Hunting and shooting, he told Arab News, are ancient Arab activities. “We are known to have fine eyes, a prerequisite for shooting and archery. Gulf societies have excelled in it whether they are men or women.”
Citing examples of Sheikh Ahmed Muhammad Hasher Al-Maktoum from UAE, who won the Athens Olympic gold medal in 2004, and the Kuwaiti woman Maryam Arzouqi, 20, who came sixth in the women’s 10m Air Rifle final in the 15th Asian Games in Doha, he said it was not only their inherent talent but the support they received that took them to the pinnacle of shooting. “There is no stopping them — both men and women — if they have talent and get the right support,” he added.
Saeid attributes his success to the support of his family. “That was the key to my success, thank god,” he said, adding that entering the shooting world and meeting all the champions was thrilling.
“A toy gun was the trigger for my interest in the sport. A childhood present got me interested, and as I grew up, my family brought me a real gun along with a license. But the real spark came when I joined the General Security Armed Forces where archery and shooting competitions were held. I watched the clay targets zipping into the air at split seconds. That got me hooked, and also changed my life,” he said.
“I soon took part in these competitions and my performances were noticed. The armed forces coach then selected me for the army team and from there my targets became higher and higher. I started representing the Saudi national team and I’ve been one of the constant members of the national squad for the last 10 years now,” he said.
The ten years have been productive. From a raw eager shooter, Saeid has emerged to become a sharp shooter under the tutelage of professionals.
Saeid now wants the sport to catch on. It has a two-fold benefit. “If the public take to this sport, conducted under the right ambience with safety rules and regulations in place, then they can enjoy the benefits of the sport — which is a major pressure reliever with vicarious pleasure — while also honing their hunting skills,” he said.
Like in every sport, it is the separation from his family that has been a drawback. “The long training camps abroad and the competitions do take their toll,” he said, adding that he misses his three children, Maha, 10, Majid, 8, and Rahaf, 6. Ironically, it is Majid who now accompanies him on in his trips showing eagerness to learn.
“The long practice may not yield fruit always, but the honor of representing Saudi Arabia is enough pay off for my family and myself,” Saeid said. He also remembers the best advice he got when he was a tenderfoot. Kuwait’s Abdullah Al-Rashidi, who was world champion for three years, advised him that the key to success in shooting was to stay focused and to never get bored.
“It is very true that during events there’s absolute boredom when we wait for our turns and the elements can get to oneself during this period of inactivity,” he said.
Al-Rashidi also advised him not to imitate other competitors’ style and to change his gun every three to four years when possible. Because, “guns are like cars,” he said, adding that the older it gets the more trouble it becomes.
Shooting also enriches one’s patience, he said, for the sport stresses one mentally and physically and it is only with patience that one can retain one’s focus and sharpness.
“We do need to exercise to develop flexible muscles movements. Waking up and sleeping early is also another important factor as is avoiding caffeine and smoking. But it is only practice that leads to perfection,” he added.
Saeid’s most cherished moments were when he came fourth at the Shooting World Cup in 2002, topped by a gold medal at the Asian Games in Hiroshima in 1994 with a new Asian and Arab record following his 122 score out of 125.
He was the champion of the event held in Malaysia in 2004, enabling him to qualify for the Athens Olympics where he came eighth. After a first day (74/75) score in Athens he came second and was optimistic to win a medal. But two errors the next day dashed his hopes.
It was also in Athens that he faced one of his most awkward moments. During the competition he faced a woman for the first time. A champion in her own right, the competitor and Saeid were in the same residence hall at the Olympic village. His administrator set up a mini competition between the two with the winner getting an award.
“I was really embarrassed competing with her, but I did not want her to beat me and I won but I also felt like apologizing,” he said. He won the Arab Championship in Jordon (1998) and a year later won the European meeting in Germany, in addition to coming second and third at various Gulf, Arab and Asian championships.
He also said he has been requesting that private shooting clubs are established, something which the Archery and Shooting Federation finally accepted. Clubs would soon be opened in Riyadh, Jeddah, Al-Taif and the Eastern Province.
“It is interesting when we receive school trips sometimes and the eagerness of the students to learn is heartening, not only for myself, but for the sports itself many more will aim high and go for gold from this growing pool,” he said.
