The general management chairman of the All Indonesia Shooting and Hunting Association (PB Perbakin), Siswanto, said that the championship, which is being hosted by Indonesia, will be joined by athletes from Romania, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Bangladesh.
"So far, there are 80 athletes from six countries. If the judges are included, the total countries participating in this event is 12," Siswanto told ANTARA here on Thursday.
Indonesia's preparedness for hosting the event has reached 90 percent, he said. "Today, we also held a coordination meeting to finalize the (preparations for) the opening ceremony. It is also in the stage of final checks," he added.
This will be the first time Indonesia will host the shooting championship, which is part of the international shooting sports federation (ISSF) calendar, he informed.
The ISSF Grand Prix Rifle/Pistol will be held under a bubble system as the COVID-19 pandemic is still on, he said.
"We have coordinated with the participating countries. Before departing for Indonesia, they (athletes) will undergo quarantine and be tested with PCR in their respective countries. After arriving here, they will be tested by PCR again," he said.
Meanwhile, PB Perbakin secretary general Henry Oka said the ISSF Grand Prix Rifle/Pistol will help Indonesia's Merah Putih athletes prepare for the Hanoi SEA Games in 2022.
Participating countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore will deploy first-tier shooting athletes, he added.
"The ISSF can be a benchmark (for the athletes) to read and map out the competition for the Hanoi SEA Games later," Oka, who served as a judge at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, remarked.
Related news: 2022 ISSF Grand Prix to prepare Indonesian athletes for SEA Games
Translator: M Ramdan, Kenzu T
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
