Guyana take KiKi Cup, Goodluck receives Bermuda Shield
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
May 15, 2007
NEWLY crowned West Indies Full Bore Rifle Shooting champions Guyana produced the championships’ two leading marksmen and in the presentation ceremony at the Bank of Guyana roof garden, Sunday night, the National Sports Commission (NSC) promised to honour a negotiated sum of money.
Ransford Goodluck received the Bermuda Shield, considered to represent the top shooter in the championship, combining performances in the individual and team shoots.
He also won the Geriatrics Trophy donated by Sigmund Douglas for the top shooter over 50 years old.
Captain Mahendra Persaud received the Grand Aggregate Cup for winning the Individual competition, symbol of the top gun in the region.
He also received the new KiKi Investments Cup, now the symbol of shooting supremacy in the West Indies. It replaced the BWIA trophy that Guyana lost to Trinidad & Tobago in Barbados, last year.
Persaud also symbolically handed over the flag to Jamaica’s captain Denis Lee, whose country would host the next championships.
The final top individual prize, the Wogart Cup, went to Guyana’s Richard Fields who shot a perfect maximum 150 points in the West Indies Championship shoot. He hit possible at all three ranges.
NSC Director of Sport Neil Kumar said government recognised the importance sport, evidenced by the construction of the new stadium and plans to soon build an Olympic-size swimming pool.
He disclosed that veteran shooter Neville Denny negotiated assistance for the sport and promised to hand over the money soon to the Guyana National Rifle Association.
Kumar said he would make a strong plea to re-establish the Queen’s College Cadet Corps and similar corps in other schools.
Earlier, Fields called for the resuscitation of the corps that produced shooters like himself, top military leaders like Maj. Gen Joe Singh and other disciplined services heads and national leaders.
“I started shooting in the QC Cadet Corps at age 13. It’s a crying shame that QC does not have a Cadet Corps now. It’s a great tragedy. It was disbanded by persons not thinking straight.”
He welcomed Antigua & Barbuda in their first meet and said he hoped they would develop the sport to a level that would join the rotation of hosting the annual championships.
“It is an extremely humbling sport. It is the fun of competing and meeting the challenges of difficult conditions.”
He acknowledged that Guyana, the accepted masters of the long ranges, fell down badly at the 1 000 yards range to surrender the Milex Cup, but bounced back to take the big prize, the coveted West Indies title.
“Guyana got a much deserved victory.”
Master of Ceremony, Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe, reiterated that pound for pound, riflemen delivered more than any other sport, referring to the several crowns captured in the just concluded regional shoot.
He called for a club house, in which small bore ranges could be constructed to attract the public and at the same time earned much-needed funds that would relieve many sponsors of donations.
“Though we like the support, we are proud sportsmen who would want to have our own money for our activities.”
Re-elected West Indies council president Norris Gomez welcomed Antigua & Barbuda and announced that the team for the Palma championships in Canada would be selected by the end of the month. He called for a monthly post shoot.
Gomez lauded the hospitality of Guyanese.
“You are about the most hospitable people in the Caribbean.”
The various captains exchanged greetings and gifts to climax the week of intense competition.
Antigua & Barbuda’s Christopher Joseph said it was a very good experience and thanked everyone for their welcome.
Barbados’ Richard Arthur said it was an exciting week and congratulated the local organisers for a well-run meet that saw a lot of new shooters, while Jamaica’s Lee observed that it was a long but enjoyable one.
Trinidad & Tobago’s Michael Perez said he was pleased with the championship and expressed gratitude for a truly warm experience from the GNRA.
“I found the marking put out the GDF to be outstanding and exceptional. It was a truly remarkable meet.”