Asian Shotgun Cup 2025 opens in Shanxi

The Asian Shotgun Cup 2025 commenced on Monday in Linfen, Shanxi province, attracting 121 athletes from 15 countries and regions in Asia.

During the opening ceremony, actors delivered a wonderful performance that integrated Linfen culture, featuring Pujun opera, martial arts, and Yicheng Huagu, a traditional drum dance originating from Yicheng county.

"Deeply rooted in a unique shooting culture, Linfen has nurtured many outstanding young shooting talents, such as Zhao Ruozhu and Miao Wanru," said Wang Yanfeng, deputy Party secretary and mayor of Linfen, at the opening ceremony. "We have built the top shooting sports base in the country."

Salman Alsabah, chairman of the Asian Shooting Confederation, stated that shooting sports in Asia have seen steady growth over the years.

"At the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Asian shooters ranked at the top of the shooting medal standings, winning 21 medals," he said. "China led the way with an outstanding performance, finishing first in the shooting medal tally by securing 10 medals."

"These remarkable performances and achievements reflect the excellent efforts and hard work of Asian athletes and ASC member federations," he said. "We have to work harder to secure additional Olympic quota places and enhance our preparations for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028."

Wang Yifu, vice chairman of the International Shooting Sport Federation and vice chairman of the Chinese Shooting Association, noted that Linfen has hosted national-level skeet shooting events on multiple occasions, making significant contributions to the development of Chinese shooting sports.

"The event will deepen mutual understanding between the Chinese Shooting Association and member associations of the Asian Shooting Confederation, enhance friendship, and jointly promote the improvement of shooting sports standards," he said.

The competition includes five main events and 12 sub-events, including Men's Individual, Women's Individual, Men's Double, Women's Double, and Mixed Team.