There was an air of euphoria at the ranges in Bidnija yesterday as the Malta Shooting Sport Federation (MSSF) convened the media for the launching of the 2013 BOV International Malta Grand Prix.

The Double Trap event, now in its fourth edition, comes hot on the heels of the holder’s recent success on the international scene as young prodigy Nathan Lee Xuereb underlined his talent by becoming the new European junior champion after winning the shoot in Suhl, Germany, last week.

William Chetcuti, the 2011 Malta Grand Prix champion, is also on a high after breaking new ground for the country this summer when winning an unprecedented Mediterranean Games gold medal in Turkey.

The MSSF’s hopes will again rest on Chetcuti and Xuereb but homegrown hopefuls Johann Xuereb and Gianluca Chetcuti will also figure on the entry list of the Grand Prix which will be staged in Bidnija next Thursday.

Among the 18 competitors in the Double Trap shoot will be former Olympic medallists Daniele di Spigno and Francesco D’Aniello, of Italy, and British marksman Steven Walton, a Commonwealth Games champion.

The visitors will be arriving on Monday.

Carmel Cascun, the MSSF president, was brimming with confidence and said the Malta Grand Prix was an ideal occasion to celebrate a triple feat this summer, referring also to Malta’s first-ever success in indoor shooting on the international scene following Eleanor Bezzina’s 10m Air Pistol gold at the Luxembourg GSSE in June.

“These results are all the fruit of sheer hard work put in by the federation and its members over the years,” Dr Cascun said.

The MSSF head also revealed that this year there will be a novelty in the Malta Grand Prix with the participation of an Italian female shooter in Double Trap.

Meanwhile, an international Trap competition will also be staged over the weekend of August 17 and 18 with the participation of 40 shooters, 23 of whom Maltese and the rest foreigners.

Both events will adopt the 2013 ISSF regulations and ISSF-recognised judges will supervise the competitions which will be sponsored by Bank of Valletta.

“These are exciting days for our federation but I would like to take this opportunity and thank our sponsors along with Kunsill Malti għall-Isport and the Maltese Olympic Committee,” Dr Cascun said.

“Without their support we would not have been in a position to host competitions of this calibre.”

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