‘Red hot’ Mahendra Persaud starts year with a bang

He has begun 2010 the same way. Persaud, the reigning national champion dropped just one shot as Guyana’s rifle shooters launched their preparation for the 2010 international campaign with a Recorded Shoot at the Timehri Rifle ranges last Sunday.

Mahendra Persaud

It was the perfect start for the inform fullbore captain who dropped just one point the entire day in claiming victory amidst stiff competition and challenging weather conditions.

Persaud dropped a point at 300 yards and then shot two possibles of 35 out of a possible 35 with 3V-bulls at 600 and 35 with 5Vs at 900 yards to overcome arch rival and team-mate Ransford Goodluck at the final range.

Goodluck also had 2 possibles at 300 (35:4) and 600 yards (35:2)but failed to hold off Persaud who finished with a healthy three-point lead.

In extremely hot and windy conditions with the wind gusting and at times changing angles and direction, Persaud shot 34:3 at 300 yards followed by the two possibles to finish with  104 points and 11 V-bulls.

Goodluck shot 31:2 at 900 yards for a total of 101:8Vs.

Third place went to Claude Duguid with 95 points and 4 Vs. Duguid had scores of 30.0 at 300 yards, 33.3 at 600 and 32.1 at 900 yards.

Dane ‘Spooky’ Blair claimed the fourth position with 92.4 points while Ryan Sampson was fifth.

In the ‘O’ Class, Peter Persaud placed first with 83 points and 5 Vs followed by Everad Nelson with 73.2 points and Charles Deane, third, with 50.0.

The recorded shoots form part of Guyana’s preparation for the upcoming West Indies Fullbore Shooting Championships to be held at the Paragon Rifle Ranges in Barbados from May 23 to 31.

Guyana are the reigning champions of both short and long range titles at the regional level.

The local team will be seeking to win an unprecedented fourth successive title having won for the last three years – 2007 in Guyana, 2008 in Jamaica and 2009 in Trinidad.

A win would be significant since the Guyanese have failed to win a short range title in Barbados in a very long time, Persaud said.

Meanwhile, the National Rifle Shooting championships will take place next month at the Timehri Ranges as further preparation for the local riflemen.