GNRA yearend Fullbore National Short Range C/ships...Braithwaite and Peter Persaud are new National ‘Kings’

GNRA yearend Fullbore National Short Range C/ships…Braithwaite and Peter Persaud are new National ‘Kings’

Nov 10, 2014 Sports

By Franklin Wilson
For the next year, the title of National Champion in the X-Class and O-Class respectively are Lennox Braithwaite and Peter Persaud. The duo staved off challenges from their counterparts to emerge winners of the Guyana National Rifle Association (GNRA) yearend Fullbore National Short Range championships which concluded yesterday at the Guyana Defence Force, Timehri Rifle Ranges.

Congratulations! GNRA 2014 X-Class champion Lennox Braithwaite (left) is congratulated by National Captain Mahendra Persaud at the 600 Yards Range.

It brought the curtains down on three days of exciting competition which began on Sunday November 2nd, continued on Saturday, ending yesterday. Both Braithwaite and Persaud led from the first day and never relinquished the lead despite some good scores posted by their rivals on Saturday and yesterday.
Braithwaite was tested by National Captain Mahendra Persaud who capitalized on the Caribbean Individual Champion’s bad shoot at the 500 Yards Range yesterday to draw level on points going into the final range.
While Braithwaite only scored 44 points, Mahendra Persaud shot a possible to catch up but the new champion returned to form at 600 Yards to nail another possible, his second of the day while Mahendra fell down as he only mustered 46 points. It was indeed an electrifying end to the championships.
Dethroned champion Ransford Goodluck won the aggregate for the day shooting a possible at 300 Yards to end with 147 points and 12 Vs. Persaud and Braithwaite were the other two shooters to achieve a possible at 300 Yards. Leo Ramalho achieved a similar feat at 500 Yards.
Goodluck ended the championship as the runner-up with National Captain Persaud third.

GNRA 2014 O-Class champion Peter Persaud (centre) is flanked by Terrence Stuart (2nd) and Sherwin Felicien who placed third.

Peter Persaud, like Braithwaite was tested by Terrence Stuart whom he dethroned. Stuart trailing by 9-points going into the final day came within two of retaining his crown but his performance wasn’t enough to deny Peter Persaud from being crowned O-Class champion.
Winning the grand aggregate for the day was Dane Blair who found excellent form but it was too late to challenge for top honours. Blair and Stuart ended the day on 142 points and 8Vs but Blair who attained the highest score at the longest range got the nod.

Captain Persaud summed up the championships as a very good one that produced competitive shooting, noting shooters got better as the competition matured. He said that the front runners did well to hang on to the early advantage that they created.