Dubai: Great Britain’s champion Sean Bramley will have to contend with American rivals Gebben Miles and Anthony Matarese for top honours in the men’s category on the final day of the Nad Al Sheba Sporting Clays Championship on Wednesday. Bramley is sandwiched between Matarese and Miles after three days and six rounds.
At the Al Ruwayyah shooting range, Matarese is leading with 125 points, followed by Bramley and Miles who are tied with 122. Multiple world champion George Digweed of Great Britain and Italy’s Marco Battisti are a point adrift with 121 points.
Bramley expressed confidence that he could rise to the challenge. “I’m enjoying myself here and I really won’t be doing anything extraordinary except keep my focus,” the British shooter said.
Miles, who had a pair of 19s on Tuesday, felt he should have been at least three shots ahead. “I feel good going into the last two lay-outs and I should be in a position to make it to the final six,” Miles said.
“One bird at a time and that will be my focus,” Matarese told Gulf News later. “Conditions can be quite tricky here, but the idea is to hit them all,” he said.
In the women’s section, Spain’s Beatriz Cuenca Laparra continued her consistent form with a solid third day to stay clear of the field with 112 points. Taking up the honour of spearheading the challenge against the leader is American Desirae Edmunds with a total of 100, followed by Russia’s Inna Alexandrova (99) and the duo of Rebecka Bergqvist of Sweden and Great Britain’s Janine Preece on 98.
Italian Martina Maruzzo is in fifth while American multi-champion Diane Sorantino slipped to sixth with 94 points and Great Britain’s Cheryl Hall was in seventh. Sorantino, who then was pushed to seventh, wasn’t too worried. “Those at the top will carry forward the advantage of their high scores, but I would rather keep my focus on making the top six first and then we shall see what happens in the final,” she said.
“I feel I’m rushing a bit and I am not taking the best shot on my first shot. Tomorrow will be the day for us,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Middle East Championship also witnessed a minor shift with Kuwait’s Abdullah Al Rashidi holding on to the top spot ahead of countryman and two-time Olympic bronze medallist Fahad Al Dhehani with scores of 106 and 105 respectively. The UAE’s Obaid Bin Dawi is keeping up the challenge in third place with 103 followed by Libya’s Marwan Al Ameh (101) and UAE London Olympic Games shooter Daher Al Aryani (98).
All shooters will visit two more lay-ups in the morning session with the best six qualifying to the final in all three categories later in the afternoon.
From the total prize fund of $735,000 (Dhs2.69 million), the men’s winner will receive $140,000, with $65,000 for the runner-up and $40,000 for the second runner-up. Competitors until the 50th place stand to win prizes. The women’s category winner will get $35,000, followed by $20,000 for the runner-up and $15,000 for the second runner-up with prizes for the first 20 finishers. The top finishers in the Middle East category will share prize money of $135,000.
