Local marksmen aiming to retain Short Range and Individual titles
WIFBSC Championships 2016 – Antigua
The defending champions of the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council (WIFBSC) Short Range championship; Guyana, is confident of successfully retaining the trophy in the 2016 championships at the Crabbs Rifle Range in Antigua and Barbuda.
Defending Individual champion Lennox Braithwaite is also confident of making it four in a row when the region’s top marksmen take aim in the three day championships.
No championships were held last year since the WIFBSC sent a team to the World Championships which was held in Ohio, Texas USA. And for the first time in its history the West Indies did not finish in last position. On that occasion (Last year) half of the Caribbean 16-man team were Guyanese and they finished ahead of Germany.
Braithwaite and USA based John Fraser arrived in Antigua on Sunday while the remainder of the team, Mahendra Persaud (Captain & Wind Coach), Dylan Fields (Vice Captain), Ransford Goodluck (Wind Coach), Leo Romalho, Peter Persaud, Ryan Sampson, Sherwin Felicien, Terrance Stuart and Head Wind Coach Paul Slowe all arrived on Monday.
Shooters will be engaged in action as Guyana looks to retain the WIFBSC short range trophy
Team Guyana practiced on Monday in order to get their zeros and a feel of the range ahead of today’s competition.
Captain Persaud informed that whilst being a bit tired, they are focused on the task at hand and that is; to successfully defend the Individual title as well as the Short Range championship. The Long Range title which Guyana also holds will not be contested since Antigua does not have such a facility.
President of the Antigua and Barbuda Shooting Club which is an affiliate of the WIFBSC, Thomas Greenaway said that all systems are in place for the successful hosting of the 2016 championships noting that a lot of work has gone into making it become reality.
Competition will be held at the 300, 500 and 600 yards ranges respectively. The Individual competition which would see shooters from the host nation, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Canada competing will last until Thursday.
Team matches will commence on Friday with the nations competing in the Wadadli Cup, a 4-member per team competition while on Saturday, the 8-member team Anchor Cup match will be contested.
