… Guyanese shooters in high spirits
After two important team practice sessions over the weekend, Guyana’s rifle shooters are in high spirits ahead of the West Indies full bore championships which open today with the individual competition at the Timehri Rifle Ranges.
Guyana’s Captain Mahendra Persaud said that the local shooters are focused and confident especially with the inclusion of the three overseas-based shooters, former national captain Paul Archer, Sigmund Douglas and John Fraser.
Archer, who left Guyana over 30 years ago for Canada, said he was returning to his homeland for the first time in 15 years to compete although he represented Guyana last year in Barbados.
According to Archer there has been tremendous development at the Timehri Ranges since he last visited Guyana and he complemented officials of the Guyana National Rifle Association (GNRA) for the progress made.
Fraser and Douglas are based in the United States and are regular shooters on the Guyana team.
Wind coach ACP retired Paul Slowe, who was on duty for the West Indies Cricket Board, is also back in the country for the championships and trained with the team Sunday.
The squad also includes former regional champion Ransford Goodluck, Lennox Braithwaite, Dylan and Richard Fields, Claude Duguid, Ryan Sampson, Peter Persaud and Charles Deane.
Persaud, Goodluck, Braithwaite and Dylan Fields are the local shooters to watch in the individual competition but they will face still opposition from Trindad and Tobago’s Norris Gomez and Justin Lall, Jamaica – Denis Lee and Jose Nunez, Barbados – Marlon King and Carl Reid of Bermuda.
GNRA Treasurer Lt. Col Terrance Stuart will serve as the Range Officer.
The visiting teams – Antigua/Barbuda, Barbados, Bermuda, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago arrived in Guyana over the weekend and attended practice sessions yesterday at the Timehri Ranges.
Reports are that some of the foreign shooters have not arrived for the individual competition but are due for this weekend’s team matches.
Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar is expected to fire off the first shot this morning while representatives of the respective countries will raise their flags to mark the start of the five-day championships.
The individual competition will run until Thursday with Friday set aside as a rest day.
The two team matches will take place on Saturday with Saturday with the long range over 900 and 1000 yards on Saturday and 300, 500 and 600 yards ranges on Sunday.
