When the Caribbean individual full-bore shooting championship fires off in Antigua/Barbuda all eyes will be on Guyana’s leading marksman Ransford Goodluck who will be going after an unprecedented 11th regional shooting title.
Goodluck, the defending champion will once again be vying for the prestigious title of regional “Top Gun”.
He has the distinction of being the only Guyanese shooter to have won the celebrated honour of Caribbean overall full-bore champion (overall aggregate and team scores in competition) and may be the only regional shooter as well, according to unofficial records.
Goodluck’s achievements are usually overshadowed by Guyana’s outstanding team performances over the years.
He was first crowned Caribbean overall champion in 1995 when he captained Guyana to victory in the regional title at the Timehri rifle ranges here and was voted the runner-up National Sportsman of the Year by the National Sports Commission.
He returned the following year to retain the title and once again led Guyana to the Long range championship honours in Jamaica.
Goodluck would win the Regional individual title in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and again last year.
He could expect stiff opposition from national captain Mahendra Persaud, seasoned campaigner Richard “Dickie” Fields, Trinidad and Tobago sharp shooter Norris Gomez and Jamaican Carl Smith.-
The Individual competition will take place today and tomorrow and will be shot at the 300, 500 and 600 yards ranges at the newly constructed Antigua rifle ranges.
This year’s West Indies Full-bore Shooting Championships (WIFSCF) will attract shooters from Barbados, Bermuda, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the host nation.
The Guyana team will also be looking to win an unprecedented sixth successive regional title in the team match slated for Friday.
The local based shooters left Guyana Sunday and were joined by three North American-based shooters – John Fraser and Sigmund Douglas from the United States and Paul Archer from Canada.
The manager/coach is Paul Slowe is former ACP and vice president of the Guyana National rifle Association.
The full squad reads: Mahendra Persaud (captain), Dylan Fields (vice captain), Ransford Goodluck, Lennox Braithwaite, Richard Fields, Dane Blair, Ryan Sampson, Lt. Col. Terry Stuart, Peter Persaud, Fraser, Douglas and Archer.
The Individual championships got underway yesterday.
