NATIONAL shotgun champions Chad Ziadie and Aliana McMaster are the defending victors of the PWD Winter Open Sporting Clays Tournament, which will be held at Tru-Juice Estate in Bog Walk, St Catherine, on Sunday at 9:30 am.

The event will begin with over 100 competitors positioned all across a 17-station driving course.

It is the second sporting clays shoot on the Jamaica Skeet Club’s calendar for 2025.

This year the course will be set by the 19-time world champion Ben Husthwaite, who has visited the island for 27 years to train local shooters, and national coach, Khaleel Azan.

Ziadie has high expectations for himself, even though he has a defending champion target on his back.

“As the defending champion of PWD last year, the first expectation is to defend that title on Sunday,” he said. “Also, with some practice with Ben, who is setting the course, I feel like the competition will be a lot tougher as people who took the lessons with him are sharp and they are looking forward to beating me this weekend.

“So, it’s just to stay calm like I always do and just go in there with an open mind.

“Another expectation is shooting a course set by a 19-time world champion, and I think everybody who will be competing on Sunday is looking forward to that. So, the expectations are just to defend the title, go out there and have fun, keep a clear mind, don’t stress myself out too much, and just do what I do every weekend when there is a shoot — just have fun and hope that the outcome is me winning again.”

Ziadie shot 86 to win last year ahead of six-time national shotgun champion Shaun Barnes, who shot 81. This year he will have to contend with Barnes again and other top gunners such as nine-time national shotgun champion Ian Banks who won the first shoot of the year — the Driftwood Proven David East Memorial. The course will also have four-time national shotgun champion Christian Sasso, Craig Simpson, Todd Lazarus, Gerry Chin, Craig Davis, and Ryan Chen.

McMaster will be challenged in the ladies’ section by Lori-Ann Harris who topped her by one shot in their last encounter. McMaster is the two-time national shotgun Ladies’ champion. The ladies will face competition from former national shotgun champion Marguerite Harris, Renee Richhi, Toni Barnes and others.

The shooters will compete in various classes from A to E, Juniors, Sub-Juniors, Ladies and Hunters or beginners. The course will feature an array of targets such as true-pairs, and rabbits.