Italy's Verrengia holds nerve to land title

Italy's Mario Verrengia won a thrilling shoot-off with compatriot Gianluca Muoio to claim first place in an international trap event at the Bidnija ranges yesterday.

The competition, part of the Malta Shooting Sport Federation's centenary anniversary celebrations, needed a shoot-off to produce a winner after Verrengia and Muoio finished joint-top on 135 clays after both obtained identical scores of 23 in the final barrage.

It was Verrengia who held his nerve to smash the target twice in the shoot-off while Muoio missed his second.

Third place went to Maltese shooter Frans Pace with a tally of 130 points, two more than Maltese-Australian Jeff Tonna who hit 128.

The other two shooters who qualified for the barrage were Italy's Marco D'Annunzio (124) and Federico Fanali (120).

In the team competition, Italy took first place with an accumulated total of 329.

The Maltese team, composed of Pace, Tonna and Ryan Bugeja, finished a creditable second with 317 points.

Wales were a distant third with 292.

A total of 63 shooters from Italy, Wales, Moldova, England and Malta, took part in the MSSF 100th anniversary trap competition.

Results: 1. M. Verrengia (112+23) 135 (+2); 2. G. Muoio (112+23) 135 (+1); 3. F. Pace (109+21) 130; 4. J. Tonna (107+21) 128; 5. M. D'Annunzio (105+19) 124; 6. F. Fanali (103+17) 120.

Team event: 1. Italy 329; 2. Malta 317; 3. Wales 292.