THE selected Guyanese for the West Indies Fullbore Team who will take part in the World Long Range Fullbore Rifle Shooting Championship are eagerly awaiting the clearance of ammunition to resume training.
Chronicle Sport spoke exclusively to the vice-captain of the team Mahendra Persaud who explained that they are simply awaiting the clearance of the ammunition which is expected in the coming days
“We’re awaiting clearance (for the ammunition) and when we get that we will resume training. When we resume training, we will go right back to the targets and we are confident of doing well.”
The West Indies vice-captain, who is also the Guyana captain, noted that the team’s last session which was three weekends ago yielded positive results and he is hoping for such when they return to the ranges.
The veteran rifleman, placing an outlook on the composition of the team and the quality of shooters, told Chronicle Sport that it is the best that the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council (WIFSC) can put together.
Persaud said that he is confident of the Guyanese riflemen progressing well on the international platform.
“We (are) confident of holding our own especially the Guyanese and we will do our part in the team end of things.”
The team comprises eight Guyanese including Persaud – reigning regional individual champion Lennox Braithwaite, Ransford Goodluck, Dylan Fields, Leo Romalho, Ryan Sampson, Sigmund Douglas and John Fraser.
Douglas and Fraser are based in the United States. Experienced marksman Jamaican John Nelson is the non-shooting captain while Guyana’s Assistant Commissioner (retired) Paul Slowe is the main wind coach.
The other officials travelling with the team are: Adjutant David Dumont of Bermuda and Dennis Lee of Jamaica, the assistant wind coach.
The remaining shooters named are from Trinidad and Tobago – Norris Gomez, Michael Perez, and Ezekiel Joseph, (Antigua/Barbuda) Anderson Perry, Thomas Greenaway, (Barbados) Marlon King and Shelly-Ann Hinds and (Jamaica) Dwayne Forde.
The team was selected by the WIFSC following the regional championships in Jamaica last year. Fifteen other Caribbean shooters are expected to make the trip for the individual aspect of the shoot
The World Long Range Championships, commonly called The PALMA Match will take place at Camp Perry from August 1 to 14 in Ohio and will be shot over 800, 900 and 1 000 yard distances. Shooters from hosts United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Kenya and Continental Europe are expected to compete.