OVER 70 of the top pistol shooters in the island will this morning descend on the grounds of the Jamaica Rifle Association (JRA) to participate in the inaugural Masterclass Pistol Shooting Competition.

At 10:00 am, Prime Minister Andrew Holness will declare the event open after which shooters will compete in a match that spans 10 stages, in an effort to improve their standings and move up in classes.

With the full team to represent Jamaica at the Pan American Shooting Championships later this year yet to be named, competition is expected to reach fever pitch with sharpshooters vying for top spots and valuable points to claim positions on the team as well.

Alrice Palmer, the club’s pistol captain, speaking with the Jamaica Observer, said the idea of the competition was conceptualised following the postponement of the Jamaica Invitational Pistol Tournament which was scheduled for this weekend.

“At present we have a number of shooters at the club who are stagnant in their divisions for a while. This match… will have a lot of classifiers and is designed to give all our shooters the opportunity to improve their standings and gain valuable points needed to propel them both locally and internationally,” Palmer said.

According to him, at present the club has five masterclass shooters, some of whom are a few points away from attaining grand master status. Grand masters are in the prestigious five per cent category of pistol shooters in the world.

Palmer said: “This match will also take on an added dimension as for the first time there will be a Pistol Calibre Carbine (PCC) Competition shot in Jamaica. The type of weapon used for this competition is the 9mm sub-machine gun.”

For this competition, the JRA will take on the Jamaica Constabulary Force in a three-man team. Attorney-at -Law Dr George Stewart, and husband and wife Robin and Renee Rickhi will represent JRA, while the law enforcers will have Sean Pierre, Alex Clarke and Sasha Mullings wearing the emblem of the JCF.

Ryan Bramwell, the most consistent shooter in the country over the past five years, the very talented Andy Yapp, and the ageless Anthony “TJ” Johnson are among the masters vying to reach the coveted grand master status.

For Bramwell, it is all about focusing on one’s own game, getting the shots on the targets, scoring well, and seeing what happens from there. Johnson, who is referenced by all the top shooters at the club, says it’s all about shooting straight and shooting fast.

Adrian Randle, Greg Henry, Darin Richards and Chris Hart are among the A-Class shooters in their divisions and are on the cusp of becoming masterclass shooters. They surely will be using this opportunity to push for points to take them to that level.

The B Class category at the club no doubt is the most competitive, with the likes of Owen Campbell, Alvin Amore, Alrice Palmer, Paul Dixon, Alberto Diascola and the fast-improving Michael Bradshaw who are tops in their various divisions.

According to Bradshaw, he has never been this prepared, confident and focused in his shooting. “My shooting came together at the right time, just days before this match. I am relaxed, calm, ready and destined to be placed in the top three of the Carry Optics Division. My aim is to shoot 90 per cent alphas at a very competitive pace,” he stated.

In recent times, through the formation of Jamaica’s first all-female shooting team Super Six, the participation of women in the sport has been growing steadily. The Super Six ladies is led by the dynamic Yeonie Campbell, rounded shooter Renee Rickhi, and rising stars Shayon Francis and Sasha Mullings. Also down to compete is Trelawny Tactical Shooting Range’s Florence Golding.

With the rounds count for the match standing at 220, the overall male winner is expected to come from the group of Bramwell, Yapp, Henry and Randle, while Campbell is widely expected to continue her dominance among the women ahead of Mullings, Rickhi, and Francis.