JRA confident despite Pan Am Handgun Champs delay

Alastair Stewart, secretary of the Jamaica Rifle Association (JFA), said that the organisation is working assiduously to ensure a smooth start to this year's staging of the Pan American Handgun Championships.

The tournament's pre-match shooting exercise for officials and sponsors failed to get off the ground at the JRA shooting range on Mountain View Avenue yesterday after the licences and permits for overseas competitors were yet be to granted by the Jamaican authorities.

"At the moment, we have had a delay in starting the match," said Gardner.

"We have had about a 24-hour delay where we should have been starting to shoot what we called a pre-match, which is just for a small number of the match officials as well as for sponsors but not for regular shooters, and so, we are doing everything we can to get past the delay," Gardner said.

He added that this championship is supported by the Government through the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports, so they have been working around the clock to sort out the issues.

FIXING CHALLENGES

"I know that with the support of the Government, the challenges will be resolved," Gardner said. "I know that all participants from the Government side are working very hard to get the necessary clearances and permits in place in keeping with the laws of Jamaica as well as Jamaica's obligation under international law."

Competitors from over 25 countries are down to compete in this year's championships, including the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Canada, Estonia, Argentina, Brazil, and Ukraine, as well as other participants from North America and the Caribbean.

The championship is open to spectators and has an entry fee of $1,000 per day.

Woodleigh Shooting Range in Clarendon will host the first two days on Monday and Tuesday, with action switching to the JRA on Mountain View Avenue from July 25-26 and on Saturday, July 28.