The new target shooting season at the MSSF indoor range in Bidnija started with a bang.

The competition, organised last weekend by the Malta Air-Rifle and Pistol Shooting Club, had the participation of 11 shooters in four categories –­ air-rifle mixed and juniors, and air pistol men and women.

All shoots were closely contested and although this is only the start of a new season already some remarkable scores were registered.

The positive outcome left the organisation in high spirits ahead of the international competitions coming up, particularly qualification for next year’s GSSE in Luxembourg.

Alison Vella gave an early indication of her intentions to continue on where she left off in the previous season by registering her first Olympic MQS of 377/400.

Vella then went on to achieve a personal best of 567/600 in the final to win the mixed event in style.

Michael Xuereb totalled 532 and Hungarian-born Hynalka Adam managed a personal best of 529. After the finals, Adam overtook Xuereb by a seven-point margin to finish in second place.

In the event for juniors, newcomers Isaac Zammit and Isaac Calleja occupied the top two positions in that order in their first ever competitive shoot.

The air-pistol competition for men was dominated by Ray Cacciattolo who accumulated 550/600 points to finish ahead of Stephen Vassallo (531), the ever-improving Mario Mallia Milanes (496) and Martin Grech (469).

The women’s air-pistol shoot was won by Eleanor Bezzina.

She shot a remarkable 366/400 points to surpass the Olympic MQS score.

Meanwhile, Bezzina (air pistol) and Vella and Marianna Kisvardai (both air-rifle) are currently rep-resenting the Maltese club at the European Commonwealth Shooting Federation Cham-pionships which are being staged in Jersey.