Confident Ja team ready to compete at European Handgun Champs

JAMAICA’s six-member team at the September 25-30 International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) Level 4 European Handgun Championships saw action on Monday as the well-supported tournament entered pre-match action in Corinth, Greece.

All members of the Jamaica Rifle Association (JRA), the team is led by Lennie Moulton, IPSC regional director, who will compete in the Open Senior Division.

Joining Moulton on Jamaica’s first team to the European Handgun Championships are elite shooters including Andrew Yap, who will compete in the Standard Division.

Robin Rickhi will represent Jamaica in the Production Optics Senior Division whereas Matthew Smith-Barrett will shoot Production.

Yeonie Campbell and Renee Rickhi, members of Jamaica’s all-female shooting team, The Alpha Angels, who have brought a great deal of attention to the shooting sports, will line up in Ladies Production and Production Optics division, respectively.

The European Handgun Championships is a continental tournament held every three years in Europe. The championships bring together the world’s best to compete in pre-matches, culminating in six final days and 24 stages requiring speed, accuracy and endurance.

France’s Eric Grauffel is the tournament’s top achiever, having won the European Handgun Championships a record nine times.

Though among approximately 1400 competitors slated to compete in the tournament showcasing the best of IPSC shooters, the Jamaicans are experienced shooters, who recently competed successfully at the IPSC Level 5 World Shoot in Thailand, the Pan American Handgun Championships and Extreme Euro in the United States, as well as the Caribbean Open held in Puerto Rico.

The competition is expected to be fierce in each division with 259 participants in Open, of which 76 are Senior. A total 287 competitors will shoot Standard.

Productions Optics will field 313 of which 72 are Senior and 24 ladies. The production division will have 413 competitors including 47 ladies.

JRA president, Rohan Wilson, expressed confidence that the team will again make Jamaica proud while representing themselves, club and country at the highest level.