Locals defend Singer Cup title
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
April 27, 2003
Local marksmen successfully defended the Singer Cup they won last year and now have their eyes set on capturing the BWIA Cup when the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Championships continue at the Timehri Rifle Ranges today.
Shooting from the 900 and 1000-yard ranges, Guyana's eight-member team accumulated 2163 points with 39 V-Bulls (2163.39), ten points and ten V-Bulls more than second place finishers Jamaica (2153.29).
Trinidad finished third with 2047.34.
The locals were spearheaded by Ransford Goodluck who scored 147.5 at the 900 and 1141.4 at the 1000-yard range.
Goodluck who placed second to Lennox Braithwaithe in the individual championship which ended on Thursday, received valuable support from Dane Blair who recorded 144.5 and 135.0 at the 900 and 1000-yard ranges respectively.
Braithwaithe registered 139.3 and 139.1 at the 900 and 1000-yard ranges, while team captain Mahendra Persaud returned scores of 137.3 at the 900 and 132.1 at the 1000-yard ranges.
For Jamaica, David Rickman led the way with 138.3 and 140.3 at the 900 and 1000-yard ranges respectively, while Jose Nunez chipped in with 138.5 and 136.1 at the two respective ranges.
Trinidad's principal scorers were John Fong-Yew and Marc Homer who scored 268 points and 267 points respectively.
Speaking to Stabroek Sport, Persaud and Braithwaithe both said the wind as well as the light were terrible. "I've been shooting here for a number of years and I've never experienced such winds. It kept changing from left to right all the time" team captain Persaud stated, adding "I think all the teams did poorly at the long ranges.
Persaud's testimony was supported by Trinidad's team captain Norris Gomez who scored 133.2 and 130.3 at the 900 and 1000-yard ranges respectively.
Gomez explained that Trinidad does not have either a 900 or 1000-yard range and shooting over these distances at Timehri posed some problems for his team members especially the new comer, Justin Lall who according to Gomez, was flabbergasted when he saw the two long ranges (Timehri).
"Trinidad won two medals in small bore shooting at the CAC (Central American and Caribbean Games) and they (Trinidadians) would be expecting a lot from us at this championship, but they don't know what we have to go through" the BWIA pilot stated.
Guyana first won the Singer Cup in 1995 and successfully defended it in until 1998 and 1999 when they lost it.
Guyana however reclaimed it (Singer Cup) in 2000 and has never lost it since.
Guyana, Jamaica and Barbardos all have 900 and 1000-yard ranges, while Trinidad only has 300, 500 and 600-yard ranges.
The three teams - Guyana, Trinidad and Jamaica will contest the BWIA Cup today over the 300, 500 and 600-yard ranges. Jamaica are the defending BWIA Cup champions.
Meanwhile, nine Guyanese have been included in a 22-member squad to represent the West Indies at the Palma World Long Range Rifle Championship, slated for Bisley, England, in July.
The nine are: Neville Denny (captain), Persaud, Goodluck, Braithwaithe, Derick Narine, Claude Dugid, Blair, Richard Fields and Ryan Sampson.
The other team members are: (Trinidad) Leslie Chung, Marc Homer, Gomez, Fong-Yew, Michael Perez and Carl Awong. (Jamaica) carl Smith, Keith Hammond, John Nelson, Canute `CC' Coley, Dennis Lee, Jose Nunez and Valarie Newman.
Newman, a member of the Jamaica Defence Force and the only female on the Jamaican team, shot 133.0 at the 900 and 138.3 at the 1000-yard ranges yesterday.
