West Indies Full Bore Rifle Shooting ...
Persaud captures individual champion crown
… Goodluck comes in second
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
May 10, 2007
GUYANA’S Mahendra Persaud overcame difficult shooting conditions to win the long range shoots by a clear six points and capture the individual champion crown of the West Indies Full Bore Rifle Shooting Championships at the Timehri Ranges, yesterday.
Persaud finished with 393 points and 36 V-bulls for the top Grand Aggregate, his third West Indies individual champion title, following his first here in 1996 and in Barbados in 2002.
Compatriot Ransford Goodluck placed second with 389 points and 37 Vs, with Trinidad & Tobago’s Norris Gomez third with 383 points and 35 Vs and team mate Justin Lall 382 points and 29 Vs.
The best female performance was ninth, attained by Jennifer Jordan-Cousins of Barbados who registered 368 points and 27 Vs.
O-Class (junior) top honours went to Robert Griffith of Barbados with 363 points and 19 Vs, compatriot Shelly Hinds was second with 352 points and 17 Vs and Ivor Gomes of Antigua & Barbuda third with 350 and 14 Vs.
Persaud told Chronicle Sport that his victory was a result of hard work, reiterating that the long ranges would decide the winner.
“I insisted we shoot at the 900 and 1 000 yards ranges in practice. And two weeks ago, I got a possible (highest possible score) at 1 000 yards in a record shoot.”
But the wind was very difficult to predict, changing for one minute to five minutes (speed measurements used in shooting) in a flash, though the mirage seemed stable.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. My experience in shooting and coaching here served me well.
This is my range (the long range), but it was hard work.”
Just coming off the range, Goodluck, too, said the range was the most difficult in the three days of individual competition.
“It was the ultimate separator. It has never been like this. This was a freak range (1 000 yards). It wasn’t difficult – it was extremely difficult. It was rough. If anybody came up with a good shoot, he would have done an extremely good shoot.”
Leader at the end of the second day, Lall again pointed out that he was not good at the long ranges because in Trinidad & Tobago there was none.
“I can’t shoot long range. I’m not used to it. And the Guyana wind compounded the problem.”
Persaud zipped to the front from the 900 yards range, registering 73 points and four Vs, followed by three other Guyanese for the range top slot. Paul Slowe was second with 72 points and seven Vs, Derick Naraine third with 71 and five Vs and Goodluck fourth, among four with 70 points.
Goodluck and Gomes had six Vs but on the count back Goodluck got the higher position. The countback also placed Guyana’s John Fraser ahead of Barbadian female shooter Sharon Fraser, both shooters finishing with five Vs.
Persaud tally was 321 and 31 Vs, Goodluck 320 and 35 Vs, Lall 316 and 27 Vs and Gomez 315 and 29 Vs. The final shoot at the 1 000 metres only switched Gomez’ and Lall’s positions.
Hitting 72 points and five Vs, Persaud won the range, with Trinidad & Tobago Mark Ackrill and Jamaica Canute Coley following on 70 points each, with Ackrill getting the second slot with five Vs against Coley’s three.
Goodluck and Fraser were tied on 69 points, but Fraser had five Vs for the fourth position, ahead of Goodluck who had two.
Persaud was the winner of the day’s shoot with 145 points and nine Vs, while Fraser and Goodluck tied on 139 points, but Fraser got the higher slot with ten Vs against eight for Goodluck. Gomez was fourth with 138 and 12 Vs.
There will be a two-day break before the team shoots on Saturday and Sunday, but the West Indies team will practice, today, from 10:00 h, while tomorrow is the rest day.