Abdulla Sultan Alaryani was overcome with emotion after returning to the UAE yesterday, claiming it has taken him several days to grasp the fact he is now a Paralympic champion.
The shooting gold medallist, who triumphed in the Mixed R6-50m Rifle Prone-SH1 competition in London, explains this dream of winning gold has been many years in the making, way before he was confined to a wheelchair due to a car accident in 2001.
“It’s an indescribable feeling. I’ve had a few days for it to sink in now and I’m so happy I managed to achieve my dream,” Alaryani told Sport360°. “I’ve had this dream since I was a young boy, long before I had my accident.
“It started as an Olympic dream that turned into a Paralympic dream and now I’ve finally done it.”
The 42-year-old, who had competed at the Sydney 2000 Games, admits he was targeting two medals from the four competitions he entered in London, but says the support he received from the UAE rulers has cushioned the blow.
He says: “Since I won I received many congratulatory phone calls from our President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and many of our rulers who have given us unlimited support. That gives me so much pride and encouragement to continue.
“I was expecting two gold medals before I got there but I ended up with just one.
“Shooting is a very precise sport and you have to make calculations and many things have to fall into place in order to get the gold. Competitors end up having barely tenths of a point separating them.
“I will rest for a little bit then return to training, there is no reason to stop now. I have bigger goals and I’m already thinking about Rio,” Alaryani added.
Meanwhile, fellow Al Ain Club shooter Obaid Aldahmani, who is coached by Al Aryani and made it to the final with him in the R7-50m Rifle 3 Positions-SH1 competition, was also thrilled with his Paralympics campaign and is now eyeing greater success, to try and emulate his friend and coach.
He was full of praise for Alaryani, saying: “Aryani was born a champion. He’s been a shooting champion from before his accident, so it’s no surprise he won this medal.
“I’m very happy that we both made the final together in our last event there, but when he won the gold, I felt as if I had won it myself.
“We train together a lot, and I owe most of my experience to him, and I can tell you that he deserves it. I’m very proud to have made the finals and now I have my eyes set on bigger goals.”
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