Jim Shannon, MP for Strangford, attended a recent meeting at the Comber Rifle Club.
Himself and and Diane Dodds MEP met with club members Derek Mackie and Gary Mitchell to discuss funding for a proposed National Centre for Excellence in Northern Ireland for Shooting Sports.
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Strangford MP Jim Shannon[/caption]
Mr Shannon said: “This centre as it currently stands requires a full upgrade to include 50m indoor shooting range and electrification of shooting targets to bring the facility up to a UK and European standard. Such an upgrade would enable members not only to host but to compete with many UK and European Sportsmen and Women.”
Mr. Mitchell said such a facility would not only impact the local community but across Ireland as a whole. “We already have the infrastructure in place to serve any competitor. At present many of the members travel to Hanover, Germany to avail of their facilities particularly in the colder months.
“The facilities at present just do not cater to a Commonwealth or Olympic standard.”
Local sportsman and member of Comber Rifle Club, David Calvert, achieved an overall fourth place in the full bore shooting at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014. Mr Shannon has supported the upgrade and said: “Shooting is an often overlooked area of excellence for Northern Ireland in terms of sporting achievements, not least within the Ards and broader Strangford area where a number of constituents have represented the province on the Commonwealth stage and beyond.
“By investing further in the sport we can provide aspiring athletes with the facilities and support necessary to go even further than successful marksmen from the province have done and continue to put Northern Ireland on the map and in the news for the right reasons.”
Both Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Mackie are eager to access funding for such a Centre of Excellence to be housed in one of the local towns and advised many members of the club avail of its services including their Under-21 teams and a modern development would be the aspiration of the Club that many more medals could be won!”
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