The last member of the Jamaica team of six men and three women departed the island on Monday for England for the World English Sporting Clay Championship which is set start on Wednesday July 5 and end on Saturday July 8. It will be held in England this year at the E J Churchilll Shooting Ground.
Jamaica had its best results in 2022 after the female team ended in third position and the male team came fourth. It marked the first time that a local team was getting a podium finish.
The female team is dominated by the McMasters with national shotgun champion Wendy, Aliana and Abigail completing the three-woman team. They are looking forward to at least defend their third place finish this year.
The members of the male team are Craig Simpson (captain), Ryan Chen (vice captain), Ray McMaster, Robert Yap-Foo, Gordon Bucknor and Lennin Thompson. The team is a mixture of experience and new members with Simpson being the most experienced having been competing in the championship since the early 2000s.
Captain Simpson said “as we get ready for the 2023 World English Sporting Clay Championship, we are enthusiastic to be attending this prestigious event. My job as captain is to motivate my team mates while keeping them composed. This trip is about gaining international exposure and knowledge of where the sport is at on the European continent and how we can get Jamaica to a higher level of competitiveness. The fraternity is excited to have us in attendance and our participation alone is a win for Jamaica.”
The championship will feature eleven participating countries while there will be eight ladies teams. The participating countries include USA, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Mexico, Italy and Sweeden.
The team sponsors are Proven, Hawkeye, Coldwell Bankers, National Bakery, Ammar’s and BarePelt (re making and customizing of shooting vests).
