From: Rusty�Bullethole, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Guardian 21.9.00
Shooting gets a golden shot in the arm
By Peter Foster and Barbie Dutter in Sydney, Michael
Fleet and Philip Johnston
Britain wins second gold medal
KATE HOEY, the sports minister, heralded the Olympic
gold medal won by Britain's Richard Faulds yesterday as
a welcome boost to the image of shooting.
Richard Faulds, a clay pigeon shooter, claimed Britain's
second gold in Sydney, marking the sport's emergence
from the shadow of the Dunblane massacre. Miss Hoey gave
Faulds, 23, a congratulatory hug after his win in the
double trap event and said: "I am particularly pleased
for shooters and shooting in general. They have been
through a very difficult period and people frequently do
not understand them. They are sportsmen, as dedicated
and professional as any."
Miss Hoey, a gun sports enthusiast and a friend of Faulds,
said it was instructive that he had learned to shoot so
young. He began when he was nine. It emerged that the
minister had blocked new controls recommended by the
Commons home affairs select committee that would have
prevented children from handling guns before the age of
14. At the moment, there is no lower age limit for using
a shotgun, though adult supervision is needed until the
age of 15. Children under 14 can use air rifles if
supervised.
The Home Office has yet to respond to the committee's
recommendations. But it is understood that, after
representations from Miss Hoey and sporting groups,
they will not be implemented. Shooters feared that
further restrictions on shotguns and air rifles would
destroy clay pigeon and small bore rifle sports in the
way that pistol target shooting has been wrecked by the
post-Dunblane ban on handgun ownership.
James Mair, assistant coach to the shooting team, said
the gold medal would help to rehabilitate the image of
shooting. He said: "You can't describe what this win
will do for the image of the sport. The people in
shooting were as devastated as anyone else about what
happened at Dunblane. But it pigeon-holed us and people
thought we were just lunatics. A lot of shooters felt
like giving up but some, like Richard, kept plugging
away and now the sport has got what it deserved."
Faulds, who won a shoot-out against Russell Mark, an
Australian, said: "It was a feeling like you have never
experienced in your life, one of sheer pressure. It
felt like my heart was coming out of my ears." There
was pride among his neighbours in Longparish, Hants,
though some villagers have complained about the noise
coming from a hillside practice range on the family
farm. A petition was raised against the shooting range
but the parish council gave its support to their Olympic
champion.
Faulds, who was once told by a teacher that he had
poor eye-to-hand co-ordination, said: "It has been
awkward. Hopefully this will have put a smile on their
faces." But Clarissa Pratt, 40, who moved next to the
Faulds' farm a year ago, said: "I have three young
children and we moved away from London for peace and
quiet. We have complained about the noise because
sometimes it's just a constant 'bang, bang' and it
disturbs the children. I'm absolutely thrilled that
someone from the village has won gold but it won't
stop my objections."
Sue Faulds, the mother of the new champion, said:
"It cost a lot of money to build the shooting range.
Unfortunately, it's not been popular with the locals.
I do hope it's not something they will dwell on when
they should just be happy that he's done so well out
in Sydney." His father, Bruce, 60, said: "He always
wanted to compete with the best in senior competitions
even when he was just a nipper. This win is the
fulfilment of a lifelong ambition for him. I'm just so
proud of him."
The village pub, the Plough Inn, was planning a party
for Faulds's return. Pauline Dale, the landlady, said:
"The complaints about the shooting range do not come
from real country people but from people who have
money and bought houses here and then think they can
change the countryside to suit themselves. These
people deserve to be quiet now after what Richard has
achieved."
Miss Hoey's comments drew a mixed reaction. Ann
Pearston, a campaigner against gun ownership, said:
"She is entitled to her opinions but she underestimates
the depth of feeling about this all over Britain. One
Olympic medal will certainly not change them." But
Jenny Page, spokesman for the National Small Bore
Rifle Association, said: "We welcome Kate Hoey's
honesty over the way many of us feel about how
shooters in Britain have been treated.
"The new legislation was a knee-jerk reaction and has
not solved anything. We now live in hope that some
time in the future the ban, which we feel was
ill-judged, will be lifted."
--
Write letters in support of Mr Faulds' accomplishment!
Steve.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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