Top class field for 2023 Spectrum Handgun Champs
Published:Saturday | April 29, 2023 | 1:21 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
A massive 73-member field inclusive of the top male and female shooters from Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Cayman Islands and hosts Jamaica, will take aim in the 2023 Spectrum Handgun Championships set for the Jamaica Rifle Association today starting at 10 a.m. The level three International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) event is Jamaica’s first major international pistol match and highest ranked competition to be hosted on the island since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Paul Shoucair, event director, said expectations are very high ahead of the competition as the country welcomes the very best from three visiting countries. Shoucair added that the ladies’ division could be the most competitive category.
“Everyone is looking forward with great anticipation to the upcoming 2023 Spectrum Handgun Championships at the Jamaica Rifle Association. We’ll have all of Jamaica’s top shooters and from the other islands in the Caribbean. The ladies division is looking pretty hot, so I’m looking forward to it while expecting some great stages,” Shoucair stated.
The shooters will compete across four divisions, namely Open, Standard, Production Optics and Production which will feature the use of unmodified guns. The breakdown of the entry list shows a total of eight overseas shooters, eight female shooters and 57 local-based male shooters. Some of Jamaica’s top local shooters vying for top spots in the various divisions include the likes of master shooter Andy Yap, Darin Richards and Ryan Branwell. On the ladies’ side the field includes Yeonie Campbell, Shayon Francis and Renee Rickhi.
Jamaica’s top ranked masterclass shooter Ryan Bramwell believes the championships in reality is a “Caribbean championships” which he’s in great anticipation of as he intends on doing his best.
“This match will in effect be a Caribbean championships and I’m looking forward to competing against the best local and regional talents. The match itself promises to be a great event and I’m really looking forward to doing my best on Saturday (today),” Bramwell said.