Champion marksman to join Bali shoot

Musthofid, Jakarta

Twice world champion Eric Grauffel of France will be competing in the AustralAsia Championship -- an intercontinental practical shooting event -- to be held in November in Bali, the organizing committee said.

Rated Level 4, the Bali marksmanship meet is a level below the world championship, but match director Djoko S. Soeroso ensured a world-class competition with Grauffel's confirmed participation.

"He will use the event as a warm-up to the 2005 world championship," Djoko, deputy director of the Indonesian Practical Shooting Association and match director of the Bali meet, said on the sidelines of a media briefing on Wednesday.

Grauffel won the 1999 and 2002 world championships, as well as 1998 and 2001 European championships.

The AustralAsia Championship will run from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 after a level-3 National Shotgun Championship on Nov. 28.

Grauffel is expected to lead a 300-strong list of marksmen from around 30 countries.

"Some 20 countries have notified us of their intended participation in the championships," Djoko said, adding that the United States, the Netherlands, Denmark and Argentina would be represented.

The championship will cover five classes: production, modified, standard, revolver and open.

Djoko said Indonesia would field 60 marksmen including Roy Haryanto, who finished in the top ten in the open class in the 2002 Petersburg championship in South Africa -- Indonesia's best hope.

"We have prepared ourselves, including an overseas outing to the Philippines and two domestic trials," Djoko said.

The championship will coincide with the one-day General Assembly of the International Practical Shooting Confederation, in which representatives of 50 countries are expected to take part.

IPSC was officially founded at the International Pistol Conference held in Columbia, Missouri, in May 1976, while the practical shooting had its origins in California in the early '50s.

The sport quickly spread over the next few years to other continents including Europe, Australia, Central and South America, and Africa.