Khaled Al Kaabi on Tuesday begins his quest for a second shooting medal in UAE Olympic history as he takes on the world’s best in the double trap action at the Rio Games.
Coached by Emirati Olympic gold medallist Sheikh Ahmed bin Hasher Al Maktoum, Al Kaabi hopes to emulate his mentor, just three years after picking up the sport.
The 31-year-old from Al Ain surprised himself when he qualified for Rio by taking gold at the Asian Olympic Qualifying competition in New Delhi earlier this year and admits he is feeling some pressure on his Games debut.
“Yes I feel pressure because I feel that everyone in my country is waiting to hear good news about me, so I have to do my best,” Al Kaabi told Sport360 ahead of his campaign kick-off.
While the UAE may be pinning its hopes on Al Kaabi, he is choosing not to put a high level of expectation on himself as he concedes he remains a newbie in the sport.
“For now I really don’t expect anything, because my plan was to qualify to the next Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020, and suddenly I see myself getting ahead of schedule,” he explains.