Pan American and Commonwealth Games multiple medallist Roger Daniel will lead a six-member delegation at the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games qualifiers in Guatemala set to begin on Sunday.
The one-week event will be held at the Victor Manel Castellanos Range. The qualifiers are being held for the first time. Daniel, along with fellow Commonwealth Games medallist Rhodney Allen and Caribbean Championships bronze medallist Marsha Bullen-Jones are competing in the pistol events, while Marlon Moses and Taran Deosaran are in the rifle competition. The team will be managed by Robert Couri.
The team is an experienced one as Daniel and Deosaran are former CAC Gold medallists. Daniel was victorious at the 2002 Games in El Salvador as well as in 2010 in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Deosaran was double champion in El Salvador. The team will leave for Guatemala from Friday for the competition, which gets underway on Sunday 14th and runs until April 21.
Daniel warmed up for the qualifiers dominating the Caribbean ACOM Challenge in Martinique on the Easter weekend, winning four gold medals. The Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force sargeant copped the Standard pistol (559), Free Pistol (192), 10m Pistol (198.3) and Central Pistol (577) events. Bullen-Jones was third in the Ladies 10m Pistol (163.6) and fourth in the Sport Finals (497). Daniel says the qualifiers are crucial for him. “It will be like actual games we will be going in 2014 in Vera Cruz in Mexico. We will be meeting all contenders. It is important to go there well prepared and do what is expected, which is to qualify.”
Bullen-Jones said she used the ACOM Challenge to prepare her for Guatemala and will be aiming to qualify for Mexico. She said her ultimate goal is to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Moses will be hoping to qualify for his first CAC Games. The 29 year old, who has been shooting for two years, has participated in several ISSF World Cups in Australia, South Korea and Germany. He also won the President’s medal for excellence in 2007 before getting into competitive shooting.
Deosaran, who has been in the sport for 26 years, will be seeking to compete in another CAC Games and is calling for better ammunitions to train and compete locally. “Right now we have been using third and fourth grade equipment.”
RESULTS
ACOM Challenge results
Marsha Bullen-Jones
3rd Ladies 10m Pistol- 163.6 points
4th Ladies Sports Finals- 497
Roger Daniel
1st Standard Pistol- 559
1st Free Pistol- 192
1st 10m Pistol- 198.3
1st Central Pistol- 577