Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos officially declared the
opening of the 2007 World Shotgun Championships in Nicosia Sunday
evening, which will offer five quotas for the Beijing Olympic Games
next year.
Papadopoulos welcomed all athletes from 84 countries and
regions, a record-breaking participation, to the eastern
Mediterranean island and wished them good luck.
A total of 683 shooters will in the next seven days compete for
five tickets to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, each for men's
trap, men's skeet, men's double trap, women's trap and women's
skeet.
General Secretary of the International Shooting Sport Federation
Horst Schreiber has expressed his satisfaction over large turnout
for the championships, which he did not expect.
China has sent 14 athletes, including two juniors, to the
games.
Sun Shengwei, the head coach of Chinese team, told Xinhua News
Agency that the competition in each category would be undoubtedly
very fierce.
(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2007)