World champ joins Bali shooting event

World champ joins Bali shooting event

Musthofid
Jakarta

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

Rated a level-4 championship, the Bali marksmanship meet is a
level below the world championship, but match director Djoko S.
Soeroso ensuring a world-class competitiveness with Grauffel
being confirmed to be around.

"He will make the event as a warmup for the 2005 world
championship," Djoko, who is the deputy director of the
Indonesian Practical Shooting Association, said on the sidelines
of a media briefing here on Wednesday.

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

The level-4 AustralAsia Championship will run from Nov. 29 to
Dec. 1 after a level-3 National Shotgun Championship is staged on
Nov. 28.

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

"Some 20 countries have notified their planned participation
in the championships," Djoko said, adding that United States,
Netherlands, Denmark and Argentina would also be among the
contenders.

The championship will be contested in five classes:
production, modified, standard, revolver and open.

Djoko, who is the match director, said that Indonesia would
field 60 marksmen. Roy Haryanto, who finished in a top ten in the
open competition in 2002 championship in Petersburg, South
Africa, will be local best hope.

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

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