Last Saturday the Malta Air-Rifle and Pistol Shooting Club organised a fully fledged airgun shooting competition at the Bidnija Airgun ranges where 14 shooters took part in four categories.

The Olympic Air-Rifle event was won by William Vella with a score of 660.0 points followed by Lawrence Darmanin with 650.9 points and in third position was Charlo Chircop with 633.9 points.

The Olympic Air-Pistol competition was won by veteran Ray Cacciattolo with 632.8 points followed in second place by Usama Mustafa’ with 563.3 points.

In the Open Rifle event, newcomer Mark Sammut won by 604.8 points over Joe Smith who managed a creditable 526.0 points.

The most interesting event of the afternoon was surely the Open Rifle for Juniors. William Smith (561.7 points) beat off the challenge of Odin Sammut (score 305.1points) and newcomer Michaela Azzopardi (score 261.5points).

The competitions were judged by internationally qualified referees Angelo Galea and Joe Camilleri and were ably assisted by Bernardette Chircop. Marie Therese Zammit, Director of the Maltese Olympic Committee, was one of the distinguished visitors present during these interesting competitions.

Finally the medals were presented to the winners by the club’s president Lawrence Darmanin, with a special trophy also being presented to Michaela Azzopardi in recognition of her determination and perseverance in her newly acquired sport of Air-Rifle Target Shooting.