Kuwait City (KUW) to host inaugural UIPM Middle East Asia Championships in December 2023

Kuwait City (KUW) will make UIPM Sports history on December 7, 2023 by hosting the inaugural UIPM Middle East Asia Championships.

Middle East Asia is one of UIPM’s fastest-growing regions, with member federations in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and United Arab Emirates.

The introduction of the Middle East Asia Championships follows UIPM’s successful endorsement of the recent UIPM 2023 Southeast Asia Championships in Pattaya (THA), which continued the process of the Asian Modern Pentathlon Confederation (AMPC) offering opportunities to Asian athletes to compete internationally within their own geographical region.

Now UIPM and the AMPC will jointly oversee the pioneering Middle East Asia Championships, which is being hosted by the Kuwait Olympic Committee and Kuwait Modern Pentathlon Committee.

The competition format will be Laser Run and Kuwait City (KUW) will also host a UIPM Global Laser Run City Tour the same day, adding a further opportunity for athletes of all ages to compete for regional recognition.

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann said: “After the success of the UIPM 2023 Southeast Asia Championships it is great news that athletes in another part of Asia will be given a new opportunity to compete internationally.

“Our sporting movement has a significant history in Middle East Asia with Qatar having hosted three UIPM Champion of Champions in Doha, athletes from Bahrain competing in Olympic Games and World Championships, and Dubai hosting UIPM World Championships in Biathle.

“Now we have a fresh start, and the UIPM 2023 Middle East Asia Championships promises to be a wonderful celebration of sport. On behalf of the UIPM Executive Board, I am grateful to our partners in Kuwait for hosting this historic gathering.”

AMPC President Hyunjun Kim added: “As President of AMPC, I am very pleased that we will have another regional development championships in Kuwait this year, after the success of the UIPM 2023 Southeast Asia Championships in Thailand in May. This is not only a proof that we, Asia become bigger and bigger with more member federations, but also a very positive signal that the AMPC will have more member federations in the future.

“I appreciate the initiative of Modern Pentathlon family in Kuwait and also express our thanks to UIPM for their support and interest in Asia. As always, we will work closely with the LOC for the successful competition in Kuwait.”

Fawaz Al Jassar, President of the Kuwaiti Committee for Modern Pentathlon, said: “We are looking forward to hosting the 2023 Middle East Asian Championship in December, in accordance with the rules of UIPM. This Championship will be held for the first time in the history of UIPM Sports, and we are currently working on completing all the procedures required for the organisation.

“It is our pleasure to host this Championship after the great success in organising our first GLRCT last March, with the participation of more than 250 athletes from various countries and age groups, and as the first Gulf country to host a GLRCT.

“This is a good opportunity to publicise the sport of Laser Run in Kuwait, the Gulf region, and attracting more athletes, as the game is newly established, and it is the first stage to publicise and establish the Modern Pentathlon.

“Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti team is currently preparing to participate in the UIPM 2023 Laser Run World Championships which will be held in Bath (GBR), with a delegation composed of five athletes and coach Mohmed Okasha.”