(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Chinthana Wasala / The Peninsula
Multi-talented athletes from 16 countries will vie for top honours in Doha when the Qatar leg of the International Federation of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) Champion of Champions event kicks off at the Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre and Al Shaqab arena today.
The two-day competition, organised by the Qatar Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon Federation (QEMP) in collaboration with UIPM, will feature 34 athletes competing in five Olympic disciplines swimming, fencing, riding, running and shooting.
Champion of Champions series brings together the best UIPM ranked athletes from around the globe for a spectacular event to crown the best male and female Modern Pentathletes in the world.
Among the top contenders in the men's competition tomorrow will be last year's champion Patrick Dogue of Germany who will be challenged by Russia's World number six Alexsandr Lesun and the silver winning athlete in 2016, Valentin Belaud of France.
Today, the women's competition which starts with swimming events at the Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre will see Hungarian Tamara Alekszejev leading a star cast of multi-talented pentathletes.
The 29-year-old world number four is likely to face a tough contest from 26-year-old Italian Alice Sotero, who is currently ranked 10th in the world.
Qatar, having hosted the inaugural edition of the hugely popular event in 2013, secured the host status of the series for the next three editions when they signed an agreement with the International Federation of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) in 2015.
Al Shaqab's state-of-the art facilities and Qatar Foundation's Recreation Centre will provide the perfect backdrop for the world class event while the organisers expect to make this another hugely successful event.
Coinciding with the Qatar National Vision 2030, and the country's ambition of becoming an international sporting hub, the organisers said that they have also taken measures to popularize the sport among the youth in the country as well as the gulf region.
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