Guyana reigns supreme at short range shoot
-carts off inaugural Kiki Financial Investment Trophy
Stabroek News
May 14, 2007
The Guyana team is the supreme rifle shooting team in the Caribbean. One day after the locals were dethroned in the Milex Cup by arch rivals Trinidad in the long range shooting, the locals roared back to snatch the inaugural Kiki Financial Investment Trophy which was at stake for the short range championship.
And the locals owe quite a lot to the outstanding shooting display put on by Richard `Dickie' Fields, a veteran of many a Caribbean rifle shooting battle, who shot possibles at the 300, 500 and 600-yard ranges for a perfect score of 150 points which helped Guyana's eight-member team amass 1155 points to beat Trinidad 1149 into second place and avenge their loss of the Milex Trophy.
Barbados occupied third place with 1121 points while the combined Antigua and Jamaica team placed fourth with 1028 points.
The evergreen Ransford Goodluck lent good support and was only two points behind Fields totalling 148 points on the back of a possible at the 600-yard range, while dropping only one shot at the 300 and 500-yard ranges.
US-based John Fraser also used his vast experience to score a possible at the 300-yard range and had scores of 48 and 49 at the 500 and 600-yard ranges to total 147 points.
Team captain Mahendra Persaud chipped in with 144 points; Ryan Sampson and Claude Duguid 143 points ; Sigmund Douglas 142 and Dyland Fields 138 also gave useful contributions as the Guyanese overcame the windy conditions and the three stoppages for rain to come back with a bang.
Richard Fields's effort saw him copping the Woogart Trophy for the highest individual score in the team competition.
The Trinidadians, on a high after their Milex showing, must have been disappointed at not making a clean sweep of the team events.
Justin Lall was their best shooter yesterday, dropping one shot each at the 300, 500 and 600-yard ranges for a total of 147 points. .Lall received support from team captain Norris Gomez and Mark Ackril who totalled 146 points each.
Gomez scored 49s at the 300 and 600-yard ranges but managed only 48 at the 500-yard ranges while Ackril shot 49s at the 300 and 500-yard ranges and 48 at the 600yard-range.
The Trinidadians had a small measure of consolation scoring 122 V bulls to 110 by Guyana. Barbados's top shooter was Jennifer Jordan-Cousins, who shot a possible at the 500-yard range, but managed only 46 and 48 at the 300 and 600-yard ranges while Canute C. Coley with 136 points was the top shooter for the combined Antigua and Jamaica team.
The presentation of awards took place last evening at the Bank of Guyana building. (Donald Duff)