WIFBSC Short Range Team Championship…
– Braithwaite takes Wogart Trophy
following a not so hot start to the West Indies Fullbore Short Range Championships hosted by Antigua and Barbuda under the auspices of the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council (WIFBSC) at the Crabb Rifle Range Saturday, defending champions Guyana stormed back to retain the title in grand style, a victory which the shooters have dedicated to Guyana for its 50th Independence Anniversary.
It was described as the great escape by the shooters from the Land of Many Waters. They had given up the early advantage to Jamaica which tallied 372.24 and Barbados (371.12) to their 368.22 after the 300 yards was contested but the hungry Guyanese regrouped after the 300 range to fire back in style.
Head Wind Coach ACP Paul Slowe and Fullbore Captain Mahendra Persaud gave a motivational talk to the team which resulted in all the shooters stepping up at the 500 range which the Guyanese won to edge ahead at the point.
At 500, Guyana tallied 378.21 well ahead of Jamaica (367.17) and Barbados (365.23) and further consolidated this position by scoring 374.27 at the final range (600) to wrap up victory with an overall total of 1120.70 to second placed Jamaica which had a 600 range total of 357.9 for an overall score of 1096.50.
The Guyanese got the perfect start to the final range when Captain Mahendra Persaud and winner of the Wogart trophy as the best Individual Shot in this Team Match Lennox Braithwaite both gave their country scores of 49.6 and 49.5 respectively.
Braithwaite also captured the Bermuda Shield which is for the shooter with the highest score in the Team Match and Individual combined.
The hold on the top spot was further cemented when two more shooters, Peter Persaud and Ransford Goodluck also delivered scores of 49.1 and 49.5, the other team members also hitting the target for scores of over 40 which saw the marksmen from Guyana holding on to the Short Range Championship for yet another year.
This trophy is the most coveted in the Caribbean and Guyana has been showing that it is the best at both the Short and Long Range in the Caribbean.
Antigua bounced back to overtake Barbados for third place.
Captain Mahendra Persaud and Head Wind coach ACP Slowe were high in praise for the fight, resilience and determination shown by their changes under pressure.
