Qatar women's shooter Bahya Mansour al Hamad has been in the world's sites - not really for her skill but, rather, because she is one of four athletes to become the first women Qatar has sent to an Olympics and because she carried her country's flag at the opening ceremony on Friday.

She finished 17th at the women's 10m air rifle qualification and failed to make it to the finals at the Royal Artillery Barracks on Saturday.

This is the first year every member of the International Olympic Committee sent at least one woman. Before London, Qatar, Brunei and Saudi Arabia had been the last countries to have never sent a woman.

The 20-year-old Al Hamad will get another shot at gold when she competes in the 50m rifle three positions on Aug 4. But even if she misses her target, simply being there as a competitor is a victory, she believed.

"The competition was very hard, but I'm so happy, and I enjoyed it," she said after the qualification.

"It is fun to be in the Olympics. It's a dream come true for me to be here. I'm truly proud and humbled to carry the Qatar flag among my fellow athletes from all over the world.

"This is going to inspire other women in Qatar. I have carried the flag for Qatar in the Youth Olympics Games in Singapore 2010, but it was very different in London. I feel so proud."

Al Hamad took up shooting after being influenced by her cousins - professional shooters Amna al Abdulla and Wasmiya al Abdulla - and her father.

"One of the reasons I took up shooting is because of my cousins," she said. "But my father is fond of hunting and also encouraged me to take up the sport. It is difficult for women in Qatar to take up shooting and be good at it. I find it challenging."

Whether or not she will impress on the range in London, many believe her historic debut at the Olympics will inspire more women to pick up sports back home.

"Sending a women's team to the Olympic Games is historic for Qatar," the country's shooting team leader Al Anoud al Naimi said.

"More women will definitely take up sports after this in Qatar. I am sure we will have women competing in other sports, too. For now, we have 62 women competing in different disciplines of shooting and archery back home and these numbers will rise."

Al Hamad finished sixth in the women's 10m air rifle in the Asian Championships in Doha earlier this year. After just missing out on qualifying for London 2012, she earned a wildcard entry to her first Olympic Games.

The tiny but wealthy oil-rich nation of Qatar has made women's participation in sports a key component of its quest to become a Middle Eastern sports power by bidding for high-profile competitions, such as winning the rights to host the 2022 World Cup.

Contact the writer at chenxiangfeng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/29/2012 page8)