Gabala hosts opening of 2014 ISSF World Cup Final

Gabala, October 22, AzerTAc The 2014 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Final has opened in the Azerbaijani city of Gabala. Speakers at the opening ceremony included president of Gabala sports club Tale Heydarov, Vice President of the National Olympic Committee Chingiz Huseynzade, deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Ismayil Ismayilov, and ISSF Secretary General Franz Schreiber. The 2014 ISSF World Cup Final in rifle, pistol, and shotgun events will begin tomorrow. The competition will start with the women’s 10m air rifle final, and will close on Monday, 27 October with the men’s skeet. It will feature 40 participant countries competing with 163 athletes—adding up to 176 starts. The largest national teams in the tournament will be the People's Republic of China (24 athletes), the Russian Federation (19), Italy (14), Germany (11), and the United States of America (9). Featuring all of the 15 Olympic shooting events, the ISSF WCF takes place every year as a conclusion to the season’s World Cup Series—which works as qualifying round. The best eight athletes in each event at the ISSF World Cup Series enter the WCF—with a maximum of two athletes per nation for each event. Title Defenders, Olympic and World Championship medalists also take part in the competition