Negombo’s Samaranayake wins NSSF Trap Open 2023
Overall winner Kaushan Samaranayake flanked by silver medal winner Jeremy Fernando (R) and Rishan Dias (L), who claimed the bronze medal
Kaushan Samaranayake of Negombo Rifle Shooting Club emerged winner of the NSSF Trap Open Championship 2023, held at the Clay Target Shooting Club of Colombo (CTSCC), Payagala Range earlier this week. Samaranayake was in prime form as he easily overpowered Jeremy Fernando of CTSCC to claim the gold medal in the main event with a score of 32 in the finals.
Fernando, who finished with 28 points, won the silver medal while Rishan Dias, also of Negombo RSC, settled in with the bronze medal after claiming 21 points. Samaranayake topped the list of top 13 finalists after the first round with a final tally of 88 points, while his team-mate Shiyam Dias finished close behind with 84 points. Jeremy Fernando, who won the silver medal, finished third with 81 points after the first round while Rishan Dias, who claimed the bronze, was placed fourth with 77 points, the same tally of Johann Fernando of CTSCC, who was positioned fifth.
Others who qualified for the final with a score of 25 or above from the first round were Ambrith Samaranayake and Dallas Martenstyn, both of Negombo RSC, M.T.M. Fahim of Hill Country, Kaveesh Jayasuriya and Nivantha Waas of Negombo RSC, Ijaz Meezan of Hill Country, and CTSCC shooters Roshan Perera and Shirantha Peries.
Samaranayake also went on to claim the gold medal of the Open Category with a score of 36, as he edged out team-mate Shiyam Dias by a point. Dias claimed the silver medal with 35 points, and was placed one point above CTSCC’s Jeremy Fernando, who won the bronze medal with 34 points in the category.
Dallas Martenstyn of Negombo RSC claimed the gold medal of the Masters’ Category of the event, with 32 points, as he finished two points above Roshan Perera of CTSCC, who settled in with the silver medal with 30 points. Ambrith Samaranayake of Negombo RSC won the bronze medal after scoring 29 points, just one point ahead of Shirantha Peries of CTSCC, who was placed fourth.
Anitra Dharmaratne of CTSCC won the gold medal of the Junior Category as Reinya Ranasinghe of Hill Country settled in for the silver medal after a tie-breaker finish. Both competitors finished with 14 points each, but Dharmaratne carried away the gold medal after making the crucial breakthrough.
The gold medal of the Teams Category was won by NRC Team Alpha of Negombo, who accumulated 93 points, while the Clay Target Shooting Club of Colombo Team ‘A’, with 89 points claimed the silver medal.
Over 60 shooters competed at the NSSF Trap Open Championship 2023, conducted annually by the National Shooting Sports Federation of Sri Lanka (NSSF) at the Clay Target Shooting Club of Colombo, Payagala Range.
Shooters representing Clay Target Shooting Club of Colombo, Negombo, Magnum, Puttalam, Siyane, Hill Country and Wayamba rifle shooting clubs vied in this competition, which also served as a trial for updating the national pool and for future international events. Under the leadership of NSSF President Shirantha Peiris, the four-day competition was conducted with the able assistance of Competition Director Mohan Gilbert and Assistant Competition Director Dinesh Lionel.