SportGibraltar

Shooting: Great news from Melbourne!!!!

14/3/06 Melbourne, Australia.

Heloise Manasco (pictured right) has achieved a very credible second place in the 25m pistol. Her second position in the warm up competition called a "Badge" is a good indicator as to who is in form and therefore has a good chance of winning a medal. What is even more significant is the fact she came one point behind the winner of the competition, Tejaswini Sawant from India. The Indians have a strong tradition in shooting. Let's hope that she will be able to outdo the Indian in the actual Games and bring back Gibraltar's first Gold and even our first Commonwealth medal.

Amongst Gibraltar's medal hopefuls will be Gibraltar's shooters, who will be competing in four disciplines - Prone rifle, Air rifle, Clay Pigeon, and Pistol. All our competitors have performed well in previous games as well as the Small Island Games. Our biggest chance of some silverware will come from two competitors the first being Heloise Manasco who at 26 has been competing for 12 years. She has achieved the greatest success in international competitions, winning a Gold and a silver in the Commonwealth Games Federation Championships (European Division) and two gold and two Silver medals in the Small Island Games. Wayne Piri and Ernest Peralta have also had success in competitions such as the Trofeo Iberico.

Mark Boulton, a pistol shooter, is also in with a slim chance of gaining Gibraltar's first Commonwealth medal. He has achieved success in international tournaments ar Centre Fire and Rapid Fire. His most significant win came in the 2005 Small Island Games where he won Gold and Silver.

We wish Heloise and all the other Gibraltarian athletes, our support.