Teenage shooting ace takes aim at three-peat

AT JUST 15 years old, shooting sensation Aliana McMaster could become a three-time champion if all the chips fall in her favour when action in the 2023 Proven David East Memorial Sporting Clay Challenge gets under way later today.

The event, set to be hosted at the picturesque Murphy Hill Estate in Ocho Rios, is slated to begin at 9:30 a.m.

The teenage prodigy believes viewing the championship as just another one could be the safer way to go.

“How I see it is that, it’s not necessarily mine but I’m the defending champion. It’s not something that I’m going to protect but rather something that I’d want to achieve once again. So, I don’t really go with the mindset that I’m putting any pressure on myself or be intimidated by anything, or anyone. I just want to go and do my best and hopefully do the same thing again this year,” said McMaster.

In McMaster’s way en route to a possible third title are the likes of former champions Marguerite Harris and her mother, Wendy McMaster.

Alianna isn’t particularly bothered by competing against her mother, choosing instead to focus on what she wants to achieve.

“I don’t really see it as competing against her because really, if you think about it, anyone you’re going to be around is technically your competitor. So, in this sport I find it’s better to be selfish in my opinion when shooting because then you’re more focused on you and what your performance is and you don’t really care about what’s going on around you. This way you don’t get caught up in thinking, oh, this person is two birds ahead of me or I have to do this and this, to catch up and win. Just focus on what you have to do,” Aliana believes.

While clay shooting is her preferred sport, skeet shooting is where the Olympic opportunities lie, but Aliana isn’t so sure about making the switch.

“To represent the country, yes, but in this sport that they do at the Olympics is not necessarily something I’d want to be doing, because I don’t really gravitate towards skeet, which is specifically what they do at the Olympics and not sporting clay. I tend to like more sporting clay and other kind of events that vary off of it. So, to represent the country, absolutely, which I’ve already begun to do.

“It’s just to keep growing on a bigger level but I’m not sure if it will be in skeet specifically.”

orane.buchanan@gleanerjm.com