GuyanaNRA 150th Anniversary Individual Shoot Off... Rain curtails action after 3 of 5 ranges; to be completed tomorrow

GuyanaNRA 150th Anniversary Individual Shoot Off… Rain curtails action after 3 of 5 ranges; to be completed tomorrow

Oct 13, 2017 Sports

By Franklin Wilson

The skies opened up at around 14:20hrs and never relented with the rain coming in from three different directions at varying times, even lightning and thunder visited the ranges forcing the organizers to abandon the shoot at 15:45hrs, yesterday.
The action was warming up nicely with the top 20 of the initial 44 shooters contesting the Guyana National Rifle Association 150th Anniversary Shoot Off already decided after three ranges of competition, 300, 500 and 600 yards ranges.
Competitors who had qualified following the conclusion of the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council Individual Championships on Wednesday afternoon were on their lunch break and preparing for the final two ranges (900 & 1000) when the rain came down in all its glory.
Many of them being new to the conditions here, never experiencing the rain descending on a range from three different directions in such a short space of time. It was the opposite of earlier conditions which were hot and humid with subtle changing winds, experienced earlier yesterday.
At the 300 yards, a total of five possibles were recorded by Kimberly Pope (Ireland), Andrew Daw (England), Jack Alexander (Ireland), Nigel Stangroom (England) and Trevor Bryan of the Falkland Islands.
Seven were recorded at the 500 yards range; Alexander, Lennox Braithwaite (Guyana), Alexander Gill (Ireland), David Calvert (Ireland), Bruce Mc Donald (Canada), Martin Liversage (England) and Richard Winney of England.
No possible was recorded at the 600 yards range.
Of the 20 shooters that have advanced to the final two ranges, the only three West Indians are Guyanese Persaud, Braithwaite and Dylan Fields. The first three ranges were very competitive; out of a possible 105 points from the three ranges, the last five persons making it into the top 20 were only six (6) points off the standard.
Speaking with Kaieteur Sport after the Chief Range Officer, ICFRA’s Phil Harrison made the decision to call it a day; GuyanaNRA Fullbore Captain Mahendra Persaud informed that the final two ranges would be contested tomorrow following the Long Range Team Match which would also be contested at 900 and 1000 yards.
He stated that if the weather presents another challenge tomorrow, they would only be shooting at 1000 yards to decide the winner.
He reminded that the scores obtained at the 300, 500 and 600 yards ranges would come forward in determining the winner of the GuyanaNRA 150th Anniversary Shoot Off.