Established 1961 3 Local Sunday, July 25, 2021 Lara Dashti becomes ’s first woman Olympic flagbearer Swimmer says female athletes feel ‘sense of responsibility’

TOKYO: Kuwait’s flag bearer Lara Dashti leads the delegation during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Members of the delegations from Kuwait (left), Honduras (center) and the Marshall Islands pose for a 2020 , at the Olympic Stadium, in Tokyo, on Friday.—- AFP photo during the opening ceremony.

TOKYO: Swimmer Lara Dashti became pion, two-time gold medal- personal reasons, seeing the incident as a Kuwait’s first female athlete to have ever ist and 2012 Olympic Games competitor, silver lining that would allow him to chalk lifted her country’s flag at an Olympic felt “enthusiastic,” saying he looked for- up more accomplishments in his Olympic opening ceremony as she took part in the ward to making an achievement for his career. Rashidi, who won bronze in the event alongside fellow men’s shooter Talal country. To date, Kuwaitis have taken part 2016 Rio Olympic Games, promised to Al-Rashidi at the Tokyo 2020 Games on in 12 Olympic Games, winning two bronze do everything in his power to propel his Friday. The illustrious sporting event has medals for the Gulf nation and one gold country to prominence in an event of allowed two competitors to carry their medal under the Olympic flag. such magnitude, simultaneously reaching nation’s flag in unison for the first time Fehaid Al-Deehani claimed all three - another highlight of what has been a pro- ever, breaking a decades-old tradition two bronze medals in the men’s shooting lific Olympic odyssey. requiring a single flag bearer. Due to double trap at the Sydney 2000 Making his Olympic debut, Mansour COVID-19 measures, spectators were Olympics and trap at the London 2012 Al-Rashidi, another Kuwaiti men’s skeet banned from attending the event, which Olympics, in addition to a gold medal at shooter, said “concentration” is key to limited attendance to only state officials, the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, excel in a precision sport such as shoot- including Japanese Emperor Naruhito becoming the first independent athlete to ing, adding that his recent participation and International Olympic Committee ever achieve the feat. Kuwait Olympic in similar events, which include a pan- This photo provided by the Kuwait Olympic Committee shows Kuwaiti athletes President Thomas Bach. Committee President Sheikh Fahad Naser Arab contest in Egypt, had prepared participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Speaking about the milestone, Dashti Al-Sabah, who attended the ceremony, him well for the showdown tomorrow. was quoted by Kuwait’s Olympic praised the organization as “outstanding.” Expecting “stiff competition” ahead of Committee as saying she was “over- the contest, Rashidi said he looked for- whelmed with happiness” and that her Athletes ‘ready’ ward to delighting Kuwaiti fans and giv- feelings were “indescribable,” having Kuwait’s contingent of athletes partic- ing them a reason to celebrate, pointing reached the “pinnacle of joy and pleasure ipating in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic out that he was ready to prove his met- in a moment that will remain etched in Games said yesterday they are fully tle with some of the world’s best memory.” Speaking for herself and on “ready” to represent their country just as Olympic shooters. behalf of her female counterparts, Dashti the marquee event overshadowed by the Swimmers Lara Dashti and Abbas said the women competitors felt a sense COVID pandemic opened in a city under Qali both said they were equally pre- of responsibility and urgency at the a state of emergency because of a resur- pared for their respective competitions games, where they hoped to do their gence of new cases. Men’s skeet shooter on July 29-30. The Kuwaiti athletes absolute best. Abdullah Al-Rashidi, making his seventh haven been “well taken care of” ahead of Rashidi, meanwhile, described the appearance at the Olympic Games, said the spectator-free Games in a bid to endeavor as “historic,” adding “every his participation this year came by mere encourage them to put on career-defin- This photo provided by the Kuwait Olympic Committee shows committee Kuwaiti has the right to take pride in their happenstance as he was chosen to ing performances, according to the President Sheikh Fahad Naser Al-Sabah with some Kuwaiti athletes participating country and their feeling of belonging to replace his fellow athlete Saud Al- country’s Olympic committee member in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. it.” The trap shooter, a 2018 world cham- Kanderi, who pulled out of the event for Sheikh Jaber Al-Sabah. — KUNA Kuwait Chief of Staff expresses pride of troops

KUWAIT: Kuwait Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Khaled Al-Sabah expressed pride of the brave troops who have been fulfilling their duties Dr Mishal Al-Rubaie with utmost efficiency. The Chief of Staff voiced his satisfaction with the forces’ performance during an inspection of the “Wajeb Mubarak” force in the Eid Al-Adha holiday. He congratulated the troops and Youth authority conveyed to them felicitations from the political and military leaderships on the happy occasion. He urged the personnel to do their utmost for service concludes female of the homeland. —KUNA engineers training

Co-op society KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Public Authority for Five hurt in Wafra crash Youth (PAY) concluded yesterday the fourth edition of the training program for female evacuated due to engineers, which aims to empower women and qualify them to work in the private sec- warehouse fire tor. In a press release upon the occasion, the Director General of PAY Dr Mishal Al- KUWAIT: Firemen put out a blaze at a Rawda Rubaie said that part of the female gradu- Co-op Society warehouse Friday night. Shuhada ates would be employed in LIMAK. Some of and Hawally Fire Stations headed to the scene in the graduates obtained the Technology and response to an emergency call. The supermarket Business Education Council (BTEC) certifi- was evacuated as a precautionary measure, cate for management and leadership, a cer- Kuwait Fire Force said, noting that no injuries were reported. tificate from the Lifelong Learning Center (BULLC) from Bogazici University and a field training certificate, he added. The pro- gram focused on enhancing the leadership and management skills in the field of engi- neering to help the newly graduates succeed KUWAIT: Five people were injured in their future career, Rubaie noted. The in a two-vehicle collision reported program comes in the framework of the yesterday in Wafra. One of the vic- ‘Worker Makers’ project listed within the tims was rushed to hospital in a criti- state’s development plan (2021-2025) cal condition while the rest were also approved by the Council of Ministers. He hospitalized, Kuwait Fire Force said. stated that the program targeted newly Wafra Fire Station men dealt with the graduated Kuwaiti female engineers from accident which took place on Road 500 in Wafra’s agricultural area, it various disciplines. It is presented by explained. An investigation was LIMAK and supervised by the Public opened into the accident. Authority for Youth, he noted. — KUNA