Gamble pays off for Gates

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33814, 10 April 1975, Page 24

Gamble pays off for Gates

(A’etf Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND.

The American, Elgin Gates, took one of the greatest gambles of his shooting career yesterday—and it paid off in the successful defence of the single barrel title in the national trap shooting championships at Kumeu.

He lined up with 3791 other marksmen in this! | testing event, which] allowed only one cart- j I ridge in the gun for each I j target. Gates showed his skill as] he collected the 50 possible] targets and went into the I

I shoot-off with Bob Parker i(Wairarapa), Bruce Anderson I (Tauranga), Brian Lowry i (Australia), Norman Owens (Hamilton), and Tib Gedson (Opotiki). I They were reduced to . Parker and Gates after the ] twenty-first target. Then, on I the thrity'-fourth, Gates! I called that there had been a! (slow release of the target on! ! his call, and he did not take] I the shot. ] It was left to Mr Rayl ! Everitt, of Christchurch, to | (decide on the legality of the! American's appeal. It was' ; upheld, and on the fortieth I (target Parker missed. Gates! got the “bird” and was’ (assured of the title.

Had the American's appeal failed, Parker would have been the winner of the event.

New' Zealand officials have known of such appeals, but they are rare. In any case, shooters will long talk of Gates’s gamble — or his superb judgment. TEAMS EVENT A New Zealand team won the single rise event, being followed by Australia, the United States, and New Caledonia. More than 450 competitors will compete for the single rise championship today; the women will contest their own national title for the first time.

Soccer. —The Asian Football Confederation has demanded that the People’s Republic of China be admitted to the International Federation of Football Associations as soon as possible. Golf. —The Taranaki team for the Russell Grace women’s golf tournament in Invercargill from Vpril 28 to May 5 is: Mesdames T Anceil. C. Biddupph, Misses D Brvant, A. Maskelyn. Mesdames S. Priest and J. Vrbahn, all of New Plymouth.