Shooting Australia (SA) has been successful in obtaining a Performance Pathways Solutions Grant (PPSG) from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to help develop the next tier of Shotgun event athletes.
The $287,000 grant over two years is the outcome of a significant piece of work undertaken by SA’s High Performance Unit (HPU) and will be used to identify and develop future Australian representative athletes in both Trap and Skeet events.
The grant is separate and in addition to SA’s existing high performance funding from the AIS, which supports the continuing development and performances of current Australian and Olympic representative athletes across Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun disciplines.
SA CEO, Luke van Kempen, said the PPSG funding is recognition of the outstanding international results achieved within the Shotgun discipline in recent years.
“Australia has a proud record in Shotgun events, particularly internationally in men’s and women’s Trap, and this grant will assist us to identify and engage our future Olympic and World Championship athletes,” said Mr van Kempen.
“It’s also important recognition of the work achieved to date by our Shotgun National Program led by National Coach, Richard Sammon,” he added.
“We thank the AIS for this investment and we believe it will assist us develop Shotgun athletes who can follow in the Olympic gold medal winning footsteps of Catherine Skinner, Suzy Balogh, Michael Diamond and Russell Mark.”
Sammon said there is great depth within Shotgun disciplines in Australia and said the grant will help develop this talent for future benchmark events including the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and beyond.
“Shooting is a sport where athletes can be highly competitive on the world stage for 10 or 20 years, so this PPSG investment carries long-term benefits for our sport,” said Sammon.
“We plan to identify and foster our next generation of Shotgun athletes and help develop their all-around skills through engagement in training camps and developmental competitions.
“Additionally, we will look to support these future stars by developing a network of coaches and support staff that will assist them throughout their journey,” added Sammon.
Further information; Greg Campbell, PRISM Strategic Communications. Ph: 0418 239 139 E: [email protected]
