Persaud wins WIFBSC individual title; Gill takes grand aggregate

By Treiston Joseph  

While Guyanese Captain Mahendra Persaud did not finish with the highest aggregate, he did manage to win the individual West Indies Full Bore Shooting Championship (WIFBSC) title on Wednesday at the Timehri Ranges.

Persaud ended with a total of 387 points and 33 V’s to take the title in celebration of the Guyana National Rifle Association’s 150^th anniversary. Guyana’s Lennox Brathwaite was second with 384 points and 28 V’s, while Trinidadian Stephanie Ward was third with 383 points and 26 V’s.

Irishman Alexander Gill was the man that pulled off the upset, coming from behind after three days to win the aggregate title. He finished with 390 points and 25 V’s, while Persaud was second with the above mentioned aggregate and David Calvert of England third with 387 points and 34 V’s.

Ronsford Goodluck was the hot gun at the 300-yard mark with a possible 50 and five V’s, while Jason Troup of Canada was third with a possible 50 and four V’s.

At the 600-yard mark, England’s Phillip James Champman-Sheath was on fire with 35 and three V’s to top Persaud and Christopher Heales on a countback.

However, it was the 1000-yard range that Persaud lost his way and had the most trouble hitting the target with consistency as he managed a sturdy 42 and two V’s which was not enough to hold off the hot shooting of Gill, who scored a 47 and two V’s.

Kimberly Pope of Ireland, with 49 and four V’s, and Michael Perez of Trinidad, with 48 and four V’s, were the only other shooters with better scores at the 1000-yard mark.

Meanwhile, the top 44 shooters on aggregate will all shoot today (Thursday) at the 300, 500 and 600 yards, while the best 20 will move onto the 900 and 1000 yards range to decide the winner of the GNRA 150 years title.