Manchester a whole new ball game

20/07/2002

THE year 1998 literally ended in a big bang for the national shooters when
they landed one gold, four silver and three bronze medals in the Kuala
Lumpur Commonwealth Games.
But that was in their own backyard.
Manchester will be a whole new ball game. The shooters not only have to
out-shoot the best in the world but get used to the environment as well.
The good news though is that naturalised Malaysian Irina Maharani has
been included in the squad, unlike `98 when she was shot down even before
she could get her pistol out.
This time around Irina, the 1986 world champion in sport pistol, will be
available as she has fulfilled the Games criteria.
The Ukrainian-born Irina was denied the chance to don Malaysian colours
in 1998 for failing to meet eligibility requirements which state that an
athlete had to be a citizen of his or her country for three years before
being eligible to compete in ISSF-sanctioned tournaments.
Irina got her citizenship just months before the KL `98 Games and
Malaysia subsequently lost two potential golds as her 388 mark could have
easily beaten the best of the air pistol competitors in Langkawi.
To boost Malaysia's chances in Manchester, the shooters went on a tour
of Europe and are still there competing and training.
Their first stint was in Belarus where Irina, Hasli Izwan Amir Hassan
and Bibiana Ng were selected by the National Shooting Association of
Malaysia (NSAM) for exposure.
Belarus was coach Viktar Prykhodzka's playground and he convinced NSAM
that it would do the shooters a world of good because they have good
facilities there.
Then it was off to the World Championships in Lahti, Finland where the
trio of Nurul Hudda Baharin, Irina and Bibiana found out that Manchester
is going to be one tough shootout.
The results in Finland showed that Australia and India will start as
favourites to land gold in the women's air rifle and air pistol.
Nurul Hudda, who will defend the women's air rifle gold, found herself
demoted to fifth in the Commonwealth rankings when the policewoman
finished joint 52nd in Lahti with a 390 score.
Her rivals Anjali Bhagwat of India, Australia's Susan McCready,
England's Louise Minett and Suma Shirur, finished above her.
Anjali shot 395 to finish joint 13th, followed by Susan and Louise at
joint 29th (393) and Suma at 47th (391).
Irina and Bibiana, earmarked for a medal in the air pistol, were also
below par in Finland. The duo are ranked second in the Commonwealth in
sport pistol behind Australian duo Lalita Yauhleuskaya and Linda Ryan, who
shot a combined 1,158 in Lahti.
In air pistol, Irina and Bibiana will need to overcome Lalita and Linda
as well as Canada's Kim Eagles and Dorothy Hare.
The best medal prospects in Manchester will be Emran Zakaria (men's
three position), Zulkeflee Hamsan (men's full-bore) and Irina and Bibiana
(women's air pistol pairs).
Emran finished joint 38th in Lahti but his 1,150 score places on top of
the Commonwealth rankings, followed by Australia's Sam Wieland at 1,145.
Zulkeflee won silverware - the Forntrope and Kenya trophies - at a
recent competition in Bisley besides entering the Queens final.
But statistics mean nothing in shooting. If Nurul Hudda could win the
gold in KL `98 even with her arm in a sling, anything can happen in
Manchester.
(END)