Perfect Fields wins his first Wogart Cup
... Guyana reclaim West Indies Full Bore Rifle Shooting
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
May 14, 2007
RICHARD Fields hit a perfect score to win his first Wogart Cup and Guyana reclaimed the West Indies Full Bore Rifle Shooting Championship title at the Timehri Ranges, yesterday.
Guyana tallied 1 155 points and 110 V-bulls to dethrone Trinidad & Tobago, who ended with 1 149 points and 122 V-bulls with Barbados placing third on 1 121 and 73 Vs and Antigua & Barbuda/Jamaica Combined Team fourth on 1 028 points and 55 Vs.
Captain Mahendra Persaud said: “It was a fantastic team effort, after the long-range disaster. They gave a little more. The team came to shoot. Not only the shooters performed but also the coaches. It was also a fantastic shoot by Dicky Fields to take the Wogart Cup.”
Guyana reclaimed the title in Trinidad & Tobago in 2004 and successfully defended it in Jamaica the following year but lost it to Trinidad & Tobago in Barbados last year.
Persaud thanked the supporters who came out on Mother’s Day.
West Indies head coach Paul Slowe said winning the West Indies title was sweeter than the Milex Cup.
“The long range belongs to us. We can take that back anytime we want. They didn’t beat us. We surrendered the shoot as Chronicle rightly said.”
Trinidad & Tobago captain Michael Perez said victory highlighted what the sport was about, the Twin Island Republic being considered the short range masters in the West Indies.
“Guyana shot very well and must be commended. Special congratulations to Richard Fields for winning the Wogart Cup with a perfect score.”
He said Trinidad & Tobago must go back to the drawing board. He related that he had a controversial decision against him and his final shot was disallowed that cost the team five points, putting the team in an unusual situation because the challenge came from the T&T team.
“That takes nothing away from a very impressive victory for Guyana.”
T&T fast-rising shooter Justin Lall predicted that Guyana’s victory would only make next year’s championship in Jamaica fiercer.
“Jamaica missed this shoot and would want to win it at home. We’re going to have a point to prove, and Guyana would want to beat us again.”
He said they would set as their minimum Guyana’s average score across the three ranges.
Lall was high in praise for Fields’ shooting.
“It was not fantastic. It was not splendid. It was perfect.”
President of the West Indies Full Bore Rifle Shooting Council Norris Gomez told Chronicle Sport that total might be a record but up to press time it could not be confirmed.
He said the prize would be KiKi Investment Cup, sponsored by his company, replacing the BWIA Cup.
A member of T&T team, Gomez said the past champions did not shoot great.
“Actually, Guyana shot much, much better. We were average, they were much better than average. They controlled the match at the long range. That’s where they beat us.”
He said the conditions were great for shooting, just a couple of showers and windy as normal.
Guyana led by two points after the 300 yards range, tallying 385 points and 40 Vs, followed by T&T on 383 and 38 Vs, Barbados 374 and 23 Vs, and the Combined Team 335 and 15 Vs.
But the two rivals were tied on 770 points after the 500 yards range, with Guyana hitting 77 Vs and T&T 86.
T&T won the range with 387 points and 48 Vs, followed by Guyana on 385 and 37 Vs, Barbados 378 and 20 Vs, and Combined Team 353 and 19 Vs.
On the final range, the 600 yards, Guyana again got 385 points and 33 Vs, beating T&T’s 379 and 36 Vs. Barbados had 369 and 30 Vs, the Combined Team 340 and 21.
Fields shot possibles in all three ranges for a perfect 150 points, along with 17 Vs. John Fraser had a possible at 300 yards and Ransford Goodluck at 600 yards.
For T&T, Perez had a possible at 300 yards, Ezekiel Joseph at 500 yards, and for Barbados, female shooter Jennifer Jordan-Cousins at 500 yards.
The presentation ceremony was held at the Bank of Guyana Roof Garden, last evening, with Guyana making almost a clean sweep of the trophies – Fields getting the Wogart Cup, Persaud the Grand Aggregate Cup and Goodluck the Bermuda Shield. They surrendered the Milex Cup.