World renowned marksman David Calvert excited to be in Guyana again

Oct 14, 2017 Sports, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...-be-in-guyana-again/

WIFBSC President salutes icon

By Franklin Wilson
World renowned shooter, Irishman David Calvert who is a multiple Commonwealth Games gold medalist who have also shone brightly at Biseley and Palma (World) Matches is presently lighting up the newly refurbished Timehri Ranges as a member of the Ireland team here to celebrate and compete at the Guyana National Rifle Association / West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council Caribbean Championships being run concurrently.
Calvert who was in Guyana in 2014 with the British team that shot in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados where the WIFBSC took place says it is good to see such a big entry for the championships in the Land of Many Waters with teams from Canada, Ireland, England, Falkland Islands, Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda, Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago, competing.
”This is a good and competitive field and we are having a lot of fun and the weather, it’s been demanding for us and demanding for everybody I think, even those that are used to the temperatures and the heat. But at least it remains mostly dry and so we haven’t had discomfort and the difficulty of everything getting wet and the delays that can entail, so it’s worked well.”
Calvert commended the GuyanaNRA for the professional manner in which the championships have been organised and ran so far. He was also high in praise for the quality of the Timehri Rifle Range.
”Big thanks to the West Indies Association and I guess particularly to Mahendra and his team, they have done a superb job and it’s particularly nice to see Mahendra shooting so well despite all the work load and all the distractions, really impressive performance.”
Commenting on the standard of shooting over the past days, Calvert explained that overall the scoring is lower than one would have expected compared to some of the championships but believes that it is down to entirely to the conditions.
”So many of us are just not used to coping with the heat and the humidity on such a regular basis, day after day, so that would have an effect on performances; so we’ve really got to look at relative performance rather than overall score performance.”
Calvert commended the GuyanaNRA for hosting the 150th Anniversary Shoot off where all the shooters started even.
He said that he has been nominated by his country to attend next year’s Commonwealth Games but will know his fate until the New Year.
”I hope to go and that would be my 11th in a row, in fact, I suppose that’s all the Commonwealth Games because my very first one was when they changed it from the British Empire Games to the Commonwealth Games, so I am very lucky.”
President of the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council Major (ret’d) John Nelson stated that he is very respectful of Calvert and is someone he looks up to for his ability to continue shooting at such a high standard.
”It certainly shows that age means nothing in the sport that we are in. David Calvert is a name that is known worldwide and he continues to ensure that his standard is at the very top.”
WIFBSC to mirror GuyanaNRA 150th Format
Impressed with format of the GuyanaNRA 150th anniversary championships, Nelson stated that going forward; the Council will be mirroring this format in the various countries.
”I told Mahendra that the way the new WIFBSC is going to go is that this particular competition is going to be start of how we’re going to operate in the West Indies for shooting.
We’re going to bring in ammunition for everybody so all territories will use the same ammunition and we’re going to start inviting international teams.”
Nelson noted that going this route is good for competition whilst also informing that the WIFBSC will be aiming to travel every year as a team.
”It doesn’t matter where we go, we’re going to try and go overseas whether it’s Canada or to Biseley, were going to try and go away as a team, whether it’s eight or ten we will compete against the best shooters in the world.”
Nelson said that he looking forward to seeking more young shooters coming into the sport, he recognised the new entrants, T&T Varma Rambarran who ended up winning the O-Class ahead of Guyanese Roberto Tiwari.
A mix up with the scores on the final day of the Individual Championships Wednesday had put Tiwari ahead but that was subsequently corrected yesterday.
”If we don’t have them coming out at some point in time, us, older shooters will be giving it up and we need that continuity. We don’t have the Cadet Force that the UK has or Canada, we are starting with a Cadet programme in Jamaica and every effort is being made to ensure that the young shooters continue to do this sport.”