Nearly 200 athletes are set to travel to Doha, Qatar for the 2026 Asian Shotgun Championship, the first continental competition of the 2026 season.
A total of 17 teams will be at the Lusail Shooting Complex, with the hosts bringing 25 athletes. Kazakhstan have the largest team entered with 41 athletes, while Kuwait has 22 and Uzbekistan 17.
There will be six senior events over men's and women's trap and skeet, as well as mixed team. There will be also be four junior events, with competition taking place from 11 to 22 January.
Trap Men
Qatar's Rashid Hamad S A Al-Athba is the main hope from the home country as well as Mohammed Al-Rumaihi, who placed fourth at the 2024 ISSF World Cup leg in Rabat.
But the top-ranked athlete is Yang Kun-Pi of Chinese Taipei, ranked ninth in the world. The 2022 world bronze medallist placed inside the top 15 at the Olympic Games twice and finished fourth in Lima last year on the World Cup circuit.
2002 world champion and world number 29 Khaled Al-Mudhaf will be Kuwait's best chance of a gold, but his compatriot Naser Al-Meqled, who finished fourth at the ISSF World Cup here in 2023, will also feature.
Others featuring include Kazakhstan's Alisher Aisalbayev, Mark Pochivalov and Maksim Bedarev, who are either side of the 50 mark in the world rankings.
Trap Women
Chinese Taipei have two medal contenders in their ranks. First is Liu Wan-Yu, who won World Cup bronze in Buenos Aires in April and was the 2024 Asian champion. Her teammate Lin Yi-Chun, who has three top 10 finishes at the Olympic Games, also became the world champion in 2023. She is a three-time Asian champion.
Qatar's Ray Bassil, who previously represented Lebanon, will be the other one to watch, having finished in the top 10 at the World Championships on three occasions. She is a two-time ISSF World Cup winner and a two-time Asian champion. She will be looking to make it three after winning silver last year.
Marziyeh Nia Parvaresh of Iran, who finished sixth in the final last year, returns hoping for a medal. Japan's Nanami Miyasaka was one place ahead of the Iranian in Shymkent and is also back to push for the podium. The 21-year-old Nargiza Sarmanova from Kazakhstan is a rising star, having finished seventh and 11th in the first two legs of the 2025 ISSF World Cup season.
For Kuwait, Sarah Al-Hawal is the prime contender, with a world best of ninth and a best World Cup finish of sixth. She is a three-time Asian champion.
A total of 17 teams will be at the Lusail Shooting Complex, with the hosts bringing 25 athletes. Kazakhstan have the largest team entered with 41 athletes, while Kuwait has 22 and Uzbekistan 17.
There will be six senior events over men's and women's trap and skeet, as well as mixed team. There will be also be four junior events, with competition taking place from 11 to 22 January.
Trap Men
Qatar's Rashid Hamad S A Al-Athba is the main hope from the home country as well as Mohammed Al-Rumaihi, who placed fourth at the 2024 ISSF World Cup leg in Rabat.
But the top-ranked athlete is Yang Kun-Pi of Chinese Taipei, ranked ninth in the world. The 2022 world bronze medallist placed inside the top 15 at the Olympic Games twice and finished fourth in Lima last year on the World Cup circuit.
2002 world champion and world number 29 Khaled Al-Mudhaf will be Kuwait's best chance of a gold, but his compatriot Naser Al-Meqled, who finished fourth at the ISSF World Cup here in 2023, will also feature.
Others featuring include Kazakhstan's Alisher Aisalbayev, Mark Pochivalov and Maksim Bedarev, who are either side of the 50 mark in the world rankings.
Trap Women
Chinese Taipei have two medal contenders in their ranks. First is Liu Wan-Yu, who won World Cup bronze in Buenos Aires in April and was the 2024 Asian champion. Her teammate Lin Yi-Chun, who has three top 10 finishes at the Olympic Games, also became the world champion in 2023. She is a three-time Asian champion.
Qatar's Ray Bassil, who previously represented Lebanon, will be the other one to watch, having finished in the top 10 at the World Championships on three occasions. She is a two-time ISSF World Cup winner and a two-time Asian champion. She will be looking to make it three after winning silver last year.
Marziyeh Nia Parvaresh of Iran, who finished sixth in the final last year, returns hoping for a medal. Japan's Nanami Miyasaka was one place ahead of the Iranian in Shymkent and is also back to push for the podium. The 21-year-old Nargiza Sarmanova from Kazakhstan is a rising star, having finished seventh and 11th in the first two legs of the 2025 ISSF World Cup season.
For Kuwait, Sarah Al-Hawal is the prime contender, with a world best of ninth and a best World Cup finish of sixth. She is a three-time Asian champion.
Skeet Men
Eduard Yechshenko of Kazakhstan won the Asian junior title seven years ago in Doha and now looks to secure his first senior title, having previously taken bronze in 2022. His younger compatriot Ilya Penkov has shown glimpses of promise, including in the ISSF World Cup opener from last year in Buenos Aires where he finished fifth. Their teammate Artyom Sedelnikov was the Asian junior champion last year in Shymkent.
Kuwait's Abdulaziz Al-Saad will be a contender too, having finished in the top 20 at the 2025 ISSF World Championship. He also won the 2022 Asian title. His teammate, the two-time Olympic bronze medallist Abdullah Al-Rashidi, who is also a three-time world champion, will look to win a seventh Asian gold.
Qatar's hopes lie with Rashid Saleh M J Al-Athba, the 2022 world bronze medallist, who finished seventh in the 2025 ISSF World Cup Final, also held in Doha. He looks for his third Asian title.
Chinese Taipei's Olympic bronze medallist Lee Meng-Yuan is on the entry list too, looking to add further success to his medal cabinet. UAE's Saif Bin Futais will be looking for his eighth Asian medal.
Skeet Women
Kazakhstan bring a strong team including Adel Sadakbayeva, who finished fifth in last year's final. Her teammate Olga Khailova finished sixth in that final, and returns too. Assem Orynbay, the 2023 ISSF World Cup Final winner in Doha, is also on the start list.
Korean Jang Kook-hee, who finished 21st at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, will be a contender, as will world number 16 Reem Ghanem A H Al-Sharshani, who finished ninth at the 2025 ISSF World Cup Final and is a World Cup bronze medallist, will look to win her first Asian medal.
Eduard Yechshenko of Kazakhstan won the Asian junior title seven years ago in Doha and now looks to secure his first senior title, having previously taken bronze in 2022. His younger compatriot Ilya Penkov has shown glimpses of promise, including in the ISSF World Cup opener from last year in Buenos Aires where he finished fifth. Their teammate Artyom Sedelnikov was the Asian junior champion last year in Shymkent.
Kuwait's Abdulaziz Al-Saad will be a contender too, having finished in the top 20 at the 2025 ISSF World Championship. He also won the 2022 Asian title. His teammate, the two-time Olympic bronze medallist Abdullah Al-Rashidi, who is also a three-time world champion, will look to win a seventh Asian gold.
Qatar's hopes lie with Rashid Saleh M J Al-Athba, the 2022 world bronze medallist, who finished seventh in the 2025 ISSF World Cup Final, also held in Doha. He looks for his third Asian title.
Chinese Taipei's Olympic bronze medallist Lee Meng-Yuan is on the entry list too, looking to add further success to his medal cabinet. UAE's Saif Bin Futais will be looking for his eighth Asian medal.
Skeet Women
Kazakhstan bring a strong team including Adel Sadakbayeva, who finished fifth in last year's final. Her teammate Olga Khailova finished sixth in that final, and returns too. Assem Orynbay, the 2023 ISSF World Cup Final winner in Doha, is also on the start list.
Korean Jang Kook-hee, who finished 21st at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, will be a contender, as will world number 16 Reem Ghanem A H Al-Sharshani, who finished ninth at the 2025 ISSF World Cup Final and is a World Cup bronze medallist, will look to win her first Asian medal.