… Team Guyana seek to regain Short Range honours

THE 2019 edition of the West Indies Full-bore Shooting Council (WIFBSC)/West Indies Full Bore Championships fired off Monday with the Individual competition at the Tucker Valley Rifle Range, Chaguaramas.

Defending champion, Guyanese Ransford Goodluck, is one of 75 shooters who will be competing from Guyana, Canada, England, Bermuda, Antigua, Barbados, and host nation, Trinidad and Tobago.

Hosting the competition after many years is the Northern Rifle Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NRATT) and it will conclude on Saturday, following the second Team Short Range Match and the Guyanese will be aiming to regain this trophy.

Since there is no Long Range in T&T, the Guyanese will retain the championship trophy for another year. Firing off the first shot yesterday to officially commence this year’s competition was the Acting Chief of Defence, Staff Colonel Darnley Wyke after addressing the competitors.

According to the host, history has been created in T&T since it’s the first time that members of the TTDF, TTPS and Cadets will be competing. Also, this will be the first time, there will be the introduction of innovative technology through the use of electronic targets which will be used to collate and tally points for the tournament.

Guyana’s captain, Mahendra Persaud, has expressed confidence that his charges will be tough to beat in the individual competition and they will be knocking heads and pulling triggers in unison to regain the Short Range Championship.

The Adjutant for the Guyanese team who arrived in the Twin Island Republic last Sunday is Dane Blair while the team coaches are Mahendra Persaud, Lennox Braithwaite, Dylan Fields (vice-captain) and Ransford Goodluck.

The full Guyanese team: Mahendra Persaud (captain), Dylan Fields (vice-captain), Ransford Goodluck (reigning WI Individual Champion), Lennox Braithwaite, John Fraser (USA-based), Roberto Tewari, Ryan Sampson, Peter Persaud, Leo Ramalho and Sherwin Felicien. Fields and Felicien will be joining the team tomorrow.

The Individual championships will continue today and end tomorrow when the winner will be decided. Tomorrow will be a rest day when the Annual General Meeting of the WIFBSC takes place. Guyanese Ryan Sampson is the Secretary while Jamaican Major John Nelson is the president and they are expected to retain their positions.

Friday will be a Team Match with the West Indies Team Match, both being shot at the Short Range (300, 500 and 600 yards) set for Saturday.

The presentation dinner will be on Saturday evening.