Olympic qualifying scores set at African Grand Prix

THE Clay Target Shooting Association ofNamibia hosted its final shooting competition for 2007 at Oropoko Lodge at the end of November. In total 19 shots from Namibia, Angola, USA and Germany took part in the second African Grand Prix that was sponsored by Verizon Business and organized by the CTSA of Namibia. The competition was regulated under the rules ofthe ISSF (International Sport Shooting Federation), and the discipline that was shot was Olympic Trap.

Mter two days of excellent shooting, the best 6 shooters that hit the most targets out of 125 clays, had to compete in the final. Four Angolans and two Namibians went through to the final. Kallie Mendonca (Angola) was leading the pack with 115/125 clays, closely followed by Artur Anastacio (Angola) 114/125 and Sven Ahrens (Namibia) with 113/ 125. These scores are all above the minimum Olympic qualifying scores set out by the ISSF World Shooting Body.

Andre Colaco (Angola), Jose Baptista Borges (Angola) and Jan Nel (Namibia) filled the final squad in 4th, 5th and 6th position. Mter a very exciting final, Anastacio managed to catch up with Mendonca and a sudden death shoot-off took place between the two Angolans. Mendonca was the first to miss a target and Anastacio won the gold while Sven Ahrens took the bronze medal.

The ladies disappointingly had only two competitors, namely Gaby Ahrens (Namibia) and Caroline Jackson (USA) who therefore both had to compete against men. Gaby Ahrens narrowly missed the men's final with one clay, ending in 7th position, but shot well over the minimum Olympic qualifying scores for women.