Lebanon's Ray Bassil shoots her way to World Cup silver

Lebanon’s Olympic shooter Ray Bassil ranked second-place on June 22 in the women’s trap shooting event at the ISSF's 2016 World Cup in Azerbaijan.

Lebanon’s Olympic shooter Ray Bassil ranked second-place on June 22 in the women’s trap shooting event at the International Shooting Sport Federation ’s 2016 World Cup in Azerbaijan.

Bassil hit 73 out of 75 targets to proceed to the semi-finals, where she missed only one of 15 targets, securing a spot in the final. In the gold medal match, she lost to Finland’s 2008 Olympic champion Satu Makela-Nummela by one point. Bassil brought home the silver medal after missing two targets, while her opponent missed one out of 15 clays.

Lebanese are big fans of shooting, firing bullets on all kinds of occasions, from weddings to funerals, to when their kids pass their official exams or their favorite politician gives a speech. However, Ray Bassil chose to use her shotgun peacefully, practicing the sport professionally, competing internationally and raising the Lebanese flag on several podiums around the world.

Bassil will compete in her second Olympic Games in Rio this summer, after receiving a Tripartite Commission Invitation, which granted her one of the places reserved within the total athletes’ quota for the discipline. She was the only Lebanese athlete to take part in the shooting event at the 2012 London Olympics, where she became the first – and currently the only – female Lebanese Olympic shooter. She ranked 18th  in the women’s trap shooting event in London 2012.

Source: Instagram

This year has definitely been Ray Bassil’s year. She climbed from the 36th place to become the world’s reigning female trap shooter in first place . The Azerbaijan silver marked her third ISSF World Cup medal this year, as she has already collected gold at the Nicosia World Cup in March and silver in Rio de Janeiro this April. She was the first Arab woman to ever win the World Cup for shooting.

The champion has many more titles to her credit, including 2015 Kuwait and 2009 Kazakhstan Asian Shooting Championships silver medals, 2015 and 2011 Morocco Arab Championships gold and silver, plus a bronze from the 2007 ISSF World Cup held in Nicosia. She has also given impressive performances in the World Shooting Championships.

“There’s no woman shooter in Lebanon. I’m the only trap shooter. I practice with the men’s team,” she told New Indian Express . “Lebanese people are born fighters. It has been a tough journey for me. I took the hard way, but results have been good so far.”

Bassil is clearly one to be watched out for at the Rio 2016 Olympics, where she will be one tough act to beat to the podium. “My success could change people’s perception about the game. I promise to keep the Lebanon flag flying in Rio,” she said.

Lebanon hasn’t found success in Olympic shooting events, but Bassil is set to change that. The Lebanese Olympic Committee believes Bassil has a shot for glory in Rio 2016 and recently granted her $13,000 from the national Olympic Solidarity Fund.

Is Six Flags backtracking? Spokesperson says no Saudi deal

Just days after the CEO of Six Flags announced plans to launch in Saudi Arabia, a spokesperson has now denied any plan to open in the kingdom.

Just days after the CEO of Six Flags announced plans to launch in Saudi Arabia, a spokesperson for the U.S. theme park has now denied any plan to open in the kingdom.

News about a potential Six Flags in Saudi Arabia surfaced shortly after Six Flags' CEO John Duffy met with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Duffey did an interview with the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV channel, in which he was quoted as saying, "We’re very honored to be provided with an opportunity to enter into a partnership to bring Six Flags to the kingdom."

However, a Six Flags spokesperson has now said that the company constantly holds meetings with business and world leaders on an ongoing basis, denying any deal with Saudi Arabia.

"The only Middle East market where an agreement currently exists to open a Six Flags park is in Dubai and no agreement has been reached to open any parks elsewhere in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia," the spokesperson said, according to The National .

The spokesperson said that the only exclusive partnership the company currently has in the GCC is with Dubai Parks and Resorts .

This whole situation is a bit fishy, considering the CEO of Six Flags was quoted as making the original announcement himself.

"We’re very honored to be provided with an opportunity to enter into a partnership to bring Six Flags to the kingdom… Our parks can provide the entertainment to which Saudis aspire," Duffy reportedly said in his statement to Al Arabiya .

Numerous media outlets covered the story, announcing the opening of the theme park in the kingdom.

Is Six Flags backtracking now? Or was the CEO misquoted? Of course, we just hope that a deal is eventually reached...

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