Clay Target SCC shooters dominate Skeet Nationals

Continuing their form from a fortnight, Clay Target Shooting Club of Colombo (CTSCC) dominated the NSSF Skeet National Championship 2021 all the way, but Airman Sandakalum Ranasinghe stole the show clinching the overall championship with 27 points in the final round of the two-day competition held at the Clay Target Shooting Club of Colombo’s Shotgun Range in Payagala, Kalutara.

CTSCC's Johann Fernando, with 23 points, bagged the silver medal while his team mate and sibling Jeremy Fernando accumulated 19 points to win the bronze medal. CTSCC shooters Shankar Dharmaratne and Sajeev de Silva finished at fourth and fifth positions overall as Dallas Martenstyn of Negombo Rifle Club (NRC) was placed sixth.

The Open category was also a show dominated by CTSCC with Shankar Dharmaratne claiming the gold medal and Johann Fernando winning the silver medal. Overall winner Sandakalum Ranasinghe of Sri Lanka Air Force however, finished close behind to settle with the bronze medal.

Other competitors who gave a close fight to the top three finishers were Jeremy Fernando, Sajeev de Silva, R.G.P. Madushanka, E.D.M.M. Wijewikrama, Shehan Patterson, Kamal Dhanuka, Upul Kumara and Dulan Dharmaratne.

Dallas Martenstyn of NRC finished with 61 points to claim the gold medal in the Masters' category while CTSCC's Shirantha Peries won the silver medal followed by Wimalaratna Rangala of Hill Country SC, who bagged the bronze medal. Senerath Menikdiwela and Johnston Fernando were the other competitors in this category.

CTSCC shooters dominated the Team event by winning the gold and bronze medals while Sri Lanka Air Force bagged the silver medal after a close shave. The gold-medal winning CTSCC 'A' team consisted of experienced shooters Johann and Jeremy Fernando and Shirantha Peries. E.D.M.M. Wijewickrama, Sandakalum Ranasinghe and R.G.P. Madushanka represented Air Force to help their team secure the silver medal. Shankar Dharmaratne, Shehan Patterson and Sajeev de Silva were part of the CTSCC 'B' team that bagged the bronze medal.

The Skeet Nationals was held two weeks after NSSF successfully conducted its Trap Nationals, which attracted a record number of clay target shooters. NSSF president Shirantha Peiris led his team successfully to conduct both these events with the able support of Mohan Gilbert as competition director and Dinesh Lionel as assistant competition director.