Monday evening
Well, I'm home (at last!)! Walked into the house at 1 pm Saturday, about 28 hours after leaving the hotel in Sohna. A long trip, all in darkness until landing at New York. The plane was very full, with larger complements of CWG people, especially from the Caribbean. The seats seemed much narrower than on the flight out, or perhaps I had enjoyed Indian food too much and for too long. I only slept fitfully during the 15 hour journey to New York. My next door neighbour was as large as I am and we both 'overflowed' our seats. There was frequent clashing of elbows! Almost the greatest relief was driving back from the airport here in a smooth limo, no traffic jams, no horns blowing, no cattle on the road and so on!! Worth every cent of the $100! I stayed up as long as possible, but was passing out well before 7pm. Now a couple of days later, I feel better, but not exactly in phase. We had delicious rare roast beef tonight, a real treat after over three weeks' of abstinence! The autumn colours are very fine, with a lot of leaves down., but more to come No hard frost yet, and the red dahlias are still in full bloom. It's good to feel the cool air, and, funnily, to get cold water out of the tap!
And, now, it's over - a quote from Kipling's "Recessional" might be appropriate at this time:
"The tumult and the shouting dies;
The Captains and the Kings depart "
I did not write any of the promised notes during the journey, the ride was too uncomfortable for any thoughts, sensible or otherwise. So, I still have my formal Jury Reports to write, as well as offering my views on the shoot as a whole. The subject of electronic targets and their use in this CWG is likely to remain emotional and controversial. All views, especially on what happened at CRPF in the last few weeks, should be voiced. IMHO, this was the most problematic major fullbore competition that I have been part of in over 50 years of shooting. There will be more on this in due course.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Thursday evening 2040 here
Just a short one for now - perhaps more later.
If you are not watching the Closing Ceremony, you should be! The military band section a few minutes ago was fabulous. I'm not at the stadium, but watching on TV at the hotel in between power cuts! Athletes just coming in, I have caught glimpses of Ian Shaw, Dave Calvert, and I think, Des Vamplew.
This was a much needed restful day. John McD left in the wee small hours; Phil H just after breakfast; Peter T in mid-morning; Cliff M and Keith B about an hour ago. So it's just me here for tonight, leaving the hotel tomorrow afternoon.
A snap from the restful afternoon, kept in company with Kingfisher that the young lady is bringing, and one from the TV of the ongoing ceremony. The photo on the left is the pool area where the Kingfisher was enjoyed.
Later - trouble with the internet connection, so this may not work. I went to the restaurant to watch the rest of the Closing. The TV is in a lower level of the bar, where smoking is allowed, but no food. I had quite a good view from above that and had dinner there. No one else seemed to be showing much interest in the events, apart from the barman with whom I had an interesting chat. A group of four came in, took a table in front of the TV and started playing bridge! Never a glance at the festivities!! I enjoyed the Scottish segment, but the Indian pop singers did not do too much for me.
I'll be leaving here today en route for Canada via New York. This will probably be my last offering until I get home on Saturday (I hope!). It's a long flight to JFK, with plenty of time to muse on these extraordinary three weeks. I expect to have some further reflections to add from Canada.
Thanks to all who have been reading this, and especially to those who have enjoyed it!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Wednesday evening
Well, it's over! The Fullbore matches finished today - the Pairs in the morning and the Individual in the afternoon. Once again, it was a clear, sunny day with a variable breeze from the right, varying from 2 to 6 or 7 minutes. Once again there were target failures and inconsistencies. These delayed matter so that the medal ceremonies were held in pitch darkness. A short power failure added to the mystical sense of the Indian occasion.
I won't comment on my Juror activities for the day, except to say that they were busy and convoluted, with our ruling yesterday being over-ruled by the higher level Jury of Appeal. Once I get out of here, I'll offer some further observations on the fairness of the shoot as it affected all shooters.
Results are on various web sites, but here is a summary. In my view, Canada should have had at least the bronze in the Pairs, but two adverse rulings on dubious series of shots meant we ended up in 6th place. In the Individual things did not go so well today.
Pairs: 1. NZ 588.59; 2. Scotland 587.45; 3. England 584.48 .... 6. Canada 574.44.
Individual: 1. Patel (ENG) 396.42; 2. Corbett (AUS) 395.40; 3. Calvert (NIR) 393.35 ..... 21 Paton (CAN) 381.30 .... 25 Vamplew (CAN) 375.30.
We had some Aussie Fizz with our dinner tonight, the last one that the six ITOs will share - we have worked very well together and are still smiling at each other!
Once I'm a bit more rested and relaxed, I'll add some further comments.
Well, it's over! The Fullbore matches finished today - the Pairs in the morning and the Individual in the afternoon. Once again, it was a clear, sunny day with a variable breeze from the right, varying from 2 to 6 or 7 minutes. Once again there were target failures and inconsistencies. These delayed matter so that the medal ceremonies were held in pitch darkness. A short power failure added to the mystical sense of the Indian occasion.
I won't comment on my Juror activities for the day, except to say that they were busy and convoluted, with our ruling yesterday being over-ruled by the higher level Jury of Appeal. Once I get out of here, I'll offer some further observations on the fairness of the shoot as it affected all shooters.
Results are on various web sites, but here is a summary. In my view, Canada should have had at least the bronze in the Pairs, but two adverse rulings on dubious series of shots meant we ended up in 6th place. In the Individual things did not go so well today.
Pairs: 1. NZ 588.59; 2. Scotland 587.45; 3. England 584.48 .... 6. Canada 574.44.
Individual: 1. Patel (ENG) 396.42; 2. Corbett (AUS) 395.40; 3. Calvert (NIR) 393.35 ..... 21 Paton (CAN) 381.30 .... 25 Vamplew (CAN) 375.30.
We had some Aussie Fizz with our dinner tonight, the last one that the six ITOs will share - we have worked very well together and are still smiling at each other!
Once I'm a bit more rested and relaxed, I'll add some further comments.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Tuesday evening.
As we, the ITOs, gathered in the bar at the hotel this evening, the general consensus was that this had been "one helluva day".
It all started so hopefully - with a clear light, a light breeze and the air not quite so warm. However, by late morning, we were in deep trouble. Targets started to fail in increasing numbers, going down like ninepins or like the maple leaves now coming down in the Fall in Canada.
To cut a long story short, we ended up having to fire a partial third relay to catch up on the legacy of target breakdowns and shooters' protests. We finally got away from the range, in pitch darkness, just before 7 pm, getting back here after 8 pm, and immediately taking those life saving swigs of Kingfisher beer. The drive back was relatively uneventful - we had our normal police escort (not the Bren gun) who got us through the heavy traffic without too many heart-stopping moments. The staff at the hotel thought that this might be our last night, so they gave us a special drink and dessert. We could hardly tell them that we'll all be back tomorrow!
It took a little while to sort out the day's results, and there may still be protests in the morning. However, this is where things are now.
Pairs: 1. Australia 446-48; 2. New Zealand 445.45; 3. Canada 444.42; 4. Scotland 443.40; 5. Wales 442.43; 6. England 442.40. All very close, and with 15 (we hope) rounds at 1000 (we hope) yards tomorrow, much may happen.
Individual: 1. Jim Corbett, AUS, 326.37; 2. Geoff Grenfell, AUS, 326.28; 3. David Calvert NIR, 325.34; 4. Petrus Haasbroek, RSA, 325.29; 5. Mike Collings, NZ, 325.27; 6. Ross McQuillan, NIR, 324.31. Jim Paton slipped a little today and is now 13th with 321.30. Des Vamplew, still paying for that very expensive cross-fire, is 30th with 308.27.
Tomorrow, all being well, will see the final stages of the Pairs and Individual, followed by the presentation of medals.
Last night, after I'd packed it in, Des sent me his comments on Monday. I'll paste them into yesterday's notes. Nothing from him tonight yet, so I'll add what comes tomorrow.
As we, the ITOs, gathered in the bar at the hotel this evening, the general consensus was that this had been "one helluva day".
It all started so hopefully - with a clear light, a light breeze and the air not quite so warm. However, by late morning, we were in deep trouble. Targets started to fail in increasing numbers, going down like ninepins or like the maple leaves now coming down in the Fall in Canada.
To cut a long story short, we ended up having to fire a partial third relay to catch up on the legacy of target breakdowns and shooters' protests. We finally got away from the range, in pitch darkness, just before 7 pm, getting back here after 8 pm, and immediately taking those life saving swigs of Kingfisher beer. The drive back was relatively uneventful - we had our normal police escort (not the Bren gun) who got us through the heavy traffic without too many heart-stopping moments. The staff at the hotel thought that this might be our last night, so they gave us a special drink and dessert. We could hardly tell them that we'll all be back tomorrow!
It took a little while to sort out the day's results, and there may still be protests in the morning. However, this is where things are now.
Pairs: 1. Australia 446-48; 2. New Zealand 445.45; 3. Canada 444.42; 4. Scotland 443.40; 5. Wales 442.43; 6. England 442.40. All very close, and with 15 (we hope) rounds at 1000 (we hope) yards tomorrow, much may happen.
Individual: 1. Jim Corbett, AUS, 326.37; 2. Geoff Grenfell, AUS, 326.28; 3. David Calvert NIR, 325.34; 4. Petrus Haasbroek, RSA, 325.29; 5. Mike Collings, NZ, 325.27; 6. Ross McQuillan, NIR, 324.31. Jim Paton slipped a little today and is now 13th with 321.30. Des Vamplew, still paying for that very expensive cross-fire, is 30th with 308.27.
Tomorrow, all being well, will see the final stages of the Pairs and Individual, followed by the presentation of medals.
Last night, after I'd packed it in, Des sent me his comments on Monday. I'll paste them into yesterday's notes. Nothing from him tonight yet, so I'll add what comes tomorrow.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Monday evening.
It was another warm but relatively clear day, with a breeze from the right. Things went rather more smoothly than yesterday. There were suspicions that some of the target troubles have been due to electrical voltage surges and intermittent power cuts. A little late perhaps, but now most of the sensitive gadgets have been hooked up to non-interruptible power supplies, and the whole range run on an independent generator. In some organisations, white smoke is the desirable sign of success - here, we are reassured when thick black smoke emerges just to the right of the range.
Our traffic adventures continue. Last night the first car, with three passengers in the back, hit a good bump pretty so that all three rose to the roof of the car with Peter Turner's head turning on the interior light.
This morning, with our police escort leading, the road around one of the many "diversions" between Sohna and Gurgaon had been partially blocked off to prevent traffic crossing it during road surfacing. That did not both the police who simply three aside the barriers and we carried, followed by a large swarm of, no doubt, grateful tuk-tuks, motor cycles, large trucks and cars. Tonight, Phil and I did not have our bren gun toting police escort, but we were not ambushed and go back to the hotel late but safely.
A further quick word on traffic - sorry, but when you are experiencing the chaos twice a day, it becomes important. There are many speed humps, called "speed breakers", more correct would be "suspension breakers". Most of these are obviously put in by the municipality, but others seem to be privately installed by home-owners on their own bit of road. In place of a hump, many place large rocks in the road around which traffic has to crawl, and of course there are the myriad potholes and broken up road surfaces all the way. Car repair places must do a roaring trade, but I don't think many cars can last very long. The roads are also littered with broken down trucks, often without a wheel or two, with the axles precariously propped up on rocks. . The dual carriageways, divided highways, are interesting. Mostly the traffic, which drives on the left here, follows the correct road lanes. But if things get a bit busy, people simply move into the opposing lane and by the blowing of horns and flashing of lights bull their way through. Our police like doing this, giving them a chance to use their sirens and blue lights. There seems to be few rules of the road for motorcycles or bullock carts, while trucks loaded with rocks are not to be trifled with.
There was also shooting today, all at 600 yards!
First the Pairs, with the standings after 600 yards:. 1. Canada 299.31; 2 .Scotland 299.27; 3. Wales 297.34; 4. New Zealand 297.36; 5. South Africa 297.30; 6 Australia 296.37
Then two 600 yard shoots for the Individual. The leaders are: 1. Gaz Morris, Wales, 255.30; 2. James Corbett, Australia, 254.30; 3. Robert Oxford, Wales, 254.28; 4. Petrus Haasbroek, South Africa, 254.25; 5. David Calvert, Northern Ireland, 253.29; 6. Angus McLeod, Scotland, 253.25; 7. Mike Collings, New Zealand, 253.24; 8. Daniel Richardson, Jersey, 252.27; 9. Jim Paton, Canada, 252.26; 10. Ross McQuillan, Northern Ireland, 252.24. Des Vamplew is in 29th place with 245.26. His 'lost' shot yesterday was established as a cross-fire, a very expensive miss.
Tomorrow is at 900 yards - Pairs 2 & 15 in the morning, Individual the same in the afternoon. Then there will just be the final 1000 yard day on Wednesday. It is said that there will be live TV coverage, so do badger your local TV stations to get it on.
Des' notes from Monday:
"Monday was an interesting day on the range. We were exposed to about the same conditions as yesterday with the wind being more of a factor. The flags were blowing most of the day with strength and angle changes occurring on a regular basis. The scores were lower today reflecting the trickier conditions. The winds also helped to make for another clear day so the visibility of the aiming mark was a bonus. Jim and I both went clean again in the 600 yard Pairs match so we are down 1 point after the three short ranges. Scotland also had perfect scores so we are still tied with them with a 4 point lead in the V count. There is now a 2 point separation between us and the next couple of teams that are down 3 points. In the individual matches Jim dropped 3 points today, shooting a 34 and 48. As mentioned, the conditions were trickier today so those scores pretty well reflect the averages on the range. I had the same scores. I received the results of the jury's decision on the protest Sandy put in yesterday regarding one of my shots not registering. It looks like I did cross fire and have lost 5 points. Ouch. That result puts me way down the short range aggregate so will try and make it up during the next couple of days when we shoot at the longer ranges. The aggregate will be completely different after tomorrow night if the winds continue to play a factor as they did today. Jim and I discussed the missed shot last night and realized it was picked up on the target we had just finished shooting the pairs match on, so it makes sense how I could line up on that target after listwning to Jim telling me to "shoot on target 10" for 15 minutes. Not a good excuse but there have been more than a few cross fires during the last couple of days. The targets are closer together on this range compared to the spacing between targets back home and the number boards are below the targets rather than above as found on traditional CF ranges. Depending on where you are positioned on the firing point the number boards may not line up with your target so you are constantly double checking that your lined up on your target. Signing off until tomorrow."
It was another warm but relatively clear day, with a breeze from the right. Things went rather more smoothly than yesterday. There were suspicions that some of the target troubles have been due to electrical voltage surges and intermittent power cuts. A little late perhaps, but now most of the sensitive gadgets have been hooked up to non-interruptible power supplies, and the whole range run on an independent generator. In some organisations, white smoke is the desirable sign of success - here, we are reassured when thick black smoke emerges just to the right of the range.
Our traffic adventures continue. Last night the first car, with three passengers in the back, hit a good bump pretty so that all three rose to the roof of the car with Peter Turner's head turning on the interior light.
This morning, with our police escort leading, the road around one of the many "diversions" between Sohna and Gurgaon had been partially blocked off to prevent traffic crossing it during road surfacing. That did not both the police who simply three aside the barriers and we carried, followed by a large swarm of, no doubt, grateful tuk-tuks, motor cycles, large trucks and cars. Tonight, Phil and I did not have our bren gun toting police escort, but we were not ambushed and go back to the hotel late but safely.
A further quick word on traffic - sorry, but when you are experiencing the chaos twice a day, it becomes important. There are many speed humps, called "speed breakers", more correct would be "suspension breakers". Most of these are obviously put in by the municipality, but others seem to be privately installed by home-owners on their own bit of road. In place of a hump, many place large rocks in the road around which traffic has to crawl, and of course there are the myriad potholes and broken up road surfaces all the way. Car repair places must do a roaring trade, but I don't think many cars can last very long. The roads are also littered with broken down trucks, often without a wheel or two, with the axles precariously propped up on rocks. . The dual carriageways, divided highways, are interesting. Mostly the traffic, which drives on the left here, follows the correct road lanes. But if things get a bit busy, people simply move into the opposing lane and by the blowing of horns and flashing of lights bull their way through. Our police like doing this, giving them a chance to use their sirens and blue lights. There seems to be few rules of the road for motorcycles or bullock carts, while trucks loaded with rocks are not to be trifled with.
There was also shooting today, all at 600 yards!
First the Pairs, with the standings after 600 yards:. 1. Canada 299.31; 2 .Scotland 299.27; 3. Wales 297.34; 4. New Zealand 297.36; 5. South Africa 297.30; 6 Australia 296.37
Then two 600 yard shoots for the Individual. The leaders are: 1. Gaz Morris, Wales, 255.30; 2. James Corbett, Australia, 254.30; 3. Robert Oxford, Wales, 254.28; 4. Petrus Haasbroek, South Africa, 254.25; 5. David Calvert, Northern Ireland, 253.29; 6. Angus McLeod, Scotland, 253.25; 7. Mike Collings, New Zealand, 253.24; 8. Daniel Richardson, Jersey, 252.27; 9. Jim Paton, Canada, 252.26; 10. Ross McQuillan, Northern Ireland, 252.24. Des Vamplew is in 29th place with 245.26. His 'lost' shot yesterday was established as a cross-fire, a very expensive miss.
Tomorrow is at 900 yards - Pairs 2 & 15 in the morning, Individual the same in the afternoon. Then there will just be the final 1000 yard day on Wednesday. It is said that there will be live TV coverage, so do badger your local TV stations to get it on.
Des' notes from Monday:
"Monday was an interesting day on the range. We were exposed to about the same conditions as yesterday with the wind being more of a factor. The flags were blowing most of the day with strength and angle changes occurring on a regular basis. The scores were lower today reflecting the trickier conditions. The winds also helped to make for another clear day so the visibility of the aiming mark was a bonus. Jim and I both went clean again in the 600 yard Pairs match so we are down 1 point after the three short ranges. Scotland also had perfect scores so we are still tied with them with a 4 point lead in the V count. There is now a 2 point separation between us and the next couple of teams that are down 3 points. In the individual matches Jim dropped 3 points today, shooting a 34 and 48. As mentioned, the conditions were trickier today so those scores pretty well reflect the averages on the range. I had the same scores. I received the results of the jury's decision on the protest Sandy put in yesterday regarding one of my shots not registering. It looks like I did cross fire and have lost 5 points. Ouch. That result puts me way down the short range aggregate so will try and make it up during the next couple of days when we shoot at the longer ranges. The aggregate will be completely different after tomorrow night if the winds continue to play a factor as they did today. Jim and I discussed the missed shot last night and realized it was picked up on the target we had just finished shooting the pairs match on, so it makes sense how I could line up on that target after listwning to Jim telling me to "shoot on target 10" for 15 minutes. Not a good excuse but there have been more than a few cross fires during the last couple of days. The targets are closer together on this range compared to the spacing between targets back home and the number boards are below the targets rather than above as found on traditional CF ranges. Depending on where you are positioned on the firing point the number boards may not line up with your target so you are constantly double checking that your lined up on your target. Signing off until tomorrow."
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Sunday evening
This was, by far, the least hazy day so far. There was an almost clear sky, and tonight we were treated to a display of stars and a little slip of a moon. But, along with the better light, there was an increased breeze from the right which caused its own problems, both for shooters and for the targets. There were intermittent failures, caused by electrical interruptions and by whatever mystical processes govern the behaviour of electronic target systems. We had to shift shooters around, as targets became unreliable, but good or bad behaviour was a transient thing. The ROs, aided and abetted by the Jury members, had a challenging time.
The intermediate results are on the Delhi 2010 web site - I know because I have just looked at it - and probably at Sius Ascor as well. It was a mixed day for Canada as you will see, and on which Des may comment later.
Pairs, after 500 yards:
1. Canada 199.21; 2. Scotland 199.16; 3. South Africa 198.20; 4. New Zealand 198.18. So far, so good!
Individual:
1. David Calvert (NIR) 170.19; 2. Gaz Morris (WAL) 170.19; 3. Jim Paton (CAN) 170.18; 4. Jim Corbett (AUS) 169.20. Des Vamplew was credited with a miss at 500 yards and currently stands 1t 163.20. His appeal will be dealt with tomorrow.
Tomorrow will be the same course of fire, all at 600 yards. The weather forecast is for more of the same - sunny, warm and no rain.
Just before we were leaving the range. Mr. Dhillon introduced us to this group of young ladies. They are all models and will be the medal and flag bearers at the last day on Wednesday. There is a magnificent new chair in which the winner will be carried off the range in traditional style. And that terrific CRPF Band will be with us again, starting a 1000 mile journey tomorrow to be back in time.
For our return from the range to the hotel, Phil and I again had our police escort with the Bren gun. The police love using their siren and flashing lights, but our driver was a lot less frenetic than last night!
Des has tonight sent me the following:
"The first day of competition on Saturday went well. I think Jim Thompson and Phil Harrison are pleased with how the program ran. They and the rest of the staff that includes Cliff Mallett of Jersey, Chief Range Officer John McDiarmid from Queensland, Australia and his Range Officer's Peter Turner from the UK and Canada's own Keith Bornn, have done a fantastic job of making sure this match goes off successfully. There are so many layers of detail they have to check and double check when using the electonic target systems. The extreme conditions don't stop them from having smiles and positive attitudes that are infectious on all the shooters.
Today we shoot three matches at 500. Again we start with the Pairs and then a Queen's 1 seven round course of fire followed by a Queen's 2 ten round match. The second relay shooters from yeterday fire first today so I will be shooting first. We don't change our routine for the Pairs match. Jim will start that off. Sandy collects our ammo for the day and weighs each round to make sure they are consistent.
Jim went clean in the two individual 300 yds matches, so he's off to a great start. I have more work ahead of me, as I dropped one in each match, one of them a 49.9v. As mentioned, there's no room for margin on this bullseye. The two I lost were very close to the line.
We're on our way back in the bus after Day 2 of competitions. The conditions were completely different from what we have seen since being here. The winds were blowing today so you were judging the conditions more from the strength and angle of the flags rather than relying on the mirage. The windier conditions cleared away the pollution so it was much easier to see the targets.
Both Jim and I went clean in the Pairs match. The provisional results were posted before we left so we have now moved into first place with a 4 v lead over Scotland. South Africa and New Zealand are down two points.
In the individual matches, Jim went clean again and has not dropped a point yet in the 4 matches to date. He's moved into second place based om a good V count. Sandy has put a protest in on my behalf as one of my shots did not register and was given a miss. I was awarded a provisional shot after bringing it to the RO's attention so I either went clean today or may lose 5 points. We'll see what the jury comes back with tomorrow.
Signing off for Sunday."
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday evening.
[my apologies for this being a day late, but there was no internet connection from the hotel last night, and we are still 'blocked' from the range]
This was the last day of the practice period. Attendance was quite small, since,clearly, most teams felt they had done enough.
Tomorrow the serious business gets under way. The format is a little unusual for a Commonwealth Games in that all shoots at one distance will be fired on the same day. Everything on Saturday will be at 300 yards, with 500 yards on Sunday and so on. So, starting in the morning, the Pairs will fire 2ss & 10 each, followed by the Individual 2ss & 7 plus 2ss & 10.
I think I've commented before on the large labour squad that shifts targets. They did a good job over the lunch break today. The target frames are very solid wood and heavy. The gang marches down the range and work very hard. Peter Turner, one of the ROs, has expropriated a motor cycle and roars up and down the range supervising the target machinations.
We did a further extensive calibration of the targets this afternoon and we are now confident that, as far as possible, all is set for a good and fair competition.
Apart from that, the day was uneventful. It was a little less hazy - there were actually some shadows cast by the sun, and down range visibility was much better. There should not be problems at 300-500-600, but it would be a good thing if the smoggy air was to clear bit before the 900 and 1000 next week.
We were privileged this evening in that our police escort had a Bren gun mounted on their jeep. They didn't use it to clear the traffic, although they must have been tempted. They were a bit aggressive in passing other vehicles and nearly forced our car driver into a head-on collision with a large truck loaded with rocks. There must have been all of an inch to spare.
I'm not sure how the India CWG web site will present running results, but do take a look at it http://www.cwgdelhi2010.com/ In addition, Sius Ascor www.sius.com also post competition results quite quickly. I'm not at all sure what the CBC or other Canadian media will do. Probably not much for shooting!
Saturday evening.
It seems as if contact has been re-established.
Today was the first day of competition, with everything at 300 yards. First the Pairs (2 & 10 each), then two rounds of individual (2 & 7 and 2 & 10). All went pretty well, apart from one target that apparently failed towards the end, necessitating a move and partial re-shoot. There were not too many other problems, and they got less as the day wore on. Most involve the procedures for conversion of sighters and shooting in pairs in the electronic system. The shooters are learning and our excellent group of ROs is teaching them. The last detail was almost a pleasure.
But it was a long day and everyone was tired tonight. Not too tired however for the most important cocktail hour before dinner. Last night, in recognition of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Liu Xiaobo, we had gone to the Chinese restaurant at the hotel - not a great meal. Back to Indian tonight and much better! Phil Harrison and I were delayed leaving the range and I think that our drive felt he should make up for lost time. We kept on telling him that we'd prefer to arrive alive more slowly rather than more quickly in a coffin. We had no police escort, so no Bren gun to impress the traffic and/or to keep our driver under control.
Tomorrow is all at 500 yards, same programme as today.
There are results both at the Delhi 2010 and Sius Ascor web sites. You have to search a little, but they are there! I couldn't see anything on Symaptico or the CBC - shame on them! These are early days yet, but here are some snippets:
Pairs: South Africa 100.15, Scotland 100.7, Guernsey 99.11, Canada 99.9.
Individual: Seven scores of 85, headed by Gaz Morris (Wales), Jim Corbett (AUS) and David Calvert (NIR). Jim paton lies 5th on 85.10, and Des Vamplew 12th on 83.12.
Finally Des Vamplew has sent me the following from the Canadian Team perspective. He promises more!
"Jim and I have been training for 10 days now with Sandy keeping a watchful eye out for us. Today will be the first day of competition. I'm sitting on the bus on the way out to the range right now. It is a one and a half hour ride both ways with 90 percent of it through the city during both rush hours. Delhi has a population of over 20 million. The security and co-ordination to get us out there is incredible, the bus doesn't stop once. They have a dedicated lane for CWG vehicles. Usually 6 police cars escort us, sirens going all the time and there are police at every corner or round about. The back up of traffic at the intersections waiting for us to go by is quite extensive sometimes. It gets a little hairy watching the bus move through the traffic if your sitting up front. There may be a dedicated lane but the drivers will use it every chance they can. Sometimes you'll see 3 cars trying to jam into the same lane, beside each other as they pass cars on either side. There are also a lot of motor cycles on the roads however the driver is the only one who needs to wear a helmet so you'll see motorcycles loaded up with a family of 4 with only the father wearing a helmet. There are 100,000 traffic deaths a year in Delhi. I wonder why.
The athletes village is now hopping, there is a community feel, people are into their routines, almost like the way Bisley turns into a mini city for two weeks each summer. The organizers have done a good job supporting athletes and making everyone feel welcome. They have an area called the zone where you find shops, internet services (which is busy all the time), a bar, disco, hair salon, along with a large bowl shaped stage and seating area that offers different types of music each night for athletes to enjoy, giving them a chance to hang out. Our routine would usually see us at the range until 4pm, getting back to the village around 5:30/6pm. We would then stop in at the bar to have a Kingfisher beer and to do a de-brief and discuss things we'd want to concentrate on for the next day. Some of the other shooters on the Canadian team would join us. Now almost all of them are there waiting for us at the end of the day. Jim will say once we get off the bus and have gone through village security , "well I think we need to continue our research at the Kingfisher Institute" and Sandy would say " we can never stop learning" and off we'd go. You'll usually only see shooters or lawn bowlers in the bar. Most of the athletes in the village are not eligible to go in because the legal drinking age in Delhi is 25. They are very strict enforcing that rule. Thank goodness I turned 26 last month.
The village includes 28 apartment buildings of which Canada has 2. Each has 7 floors with 4 apartments on each. The apartment includes 3 bedrooms with a bathroom, along with a communal kitchen, living room/dining room area and a large flat screened TV. Everything is done in marble. Jim and I are sharing the apartment with two shot gunners (a father and son duo) and a couple of pistol shooters. Everyone gets along. After dinner we'll sit around and watch some of the other events on TV as we all learn more about each others sport. The meals are better than many anticipated. The contractor is the same Australian firm that supplied the meals at the Brisbane CWG's. They are going to great lengths to make sure folks are not getting Delhi Belly, for instance the water bottles are all washed before going out on the floor because of previous handling. The dining hall is very large and offers stations that include different foods from around the world, including: pasta, tandouri, oriental, African, Asian, vegetarian and western. It's open 24 hours a day.
We're arriving at the range now so will report back at the end of the day. It was an interesting day. All shooting was done at 300 yds. We started it off by shooting the Pairs match. Jim and I dropped one point. Two teams went clean and there were about 6 that dropped one. Sorry to be so vague but I'm not paying to much attention to the board at this stage. It's still very early. Jim and I have spent well over half of our training time coaching each other. There are a lot of different variations of Pairs shooting being shot by the 21 teams in attendance. (there were 19 in Brisbane). Most have one shooter complete the whole match while his partner coaches him while laying beside the firer and there are a few that shoot together alternating after each shot. We have used the string system. Jim shoots first and I follow. You have to read your score off the TV monitor that is located at each position. We lift the monitor up onto Sandy's shooting seat (it's a perfect fit) and use my small fold-up stool, sit beside Jim and coach him in the same manner we coach back home. We are the only team using this style. We turn the sights for each other. We have had some very good results coaching each other and have communicated well to put a good system in place. Sandy has been very good making suggestions on how we can save time here and there. He is always thinking outside the box. We have cut the transition time down quite a bit so we're not feeling rushed. The Pairs relays are 32 minutes for both shooters to fire 10 on score at 300, 500 and 600. The time goes up to 45 minutes at the long ranges. Mirage plays a big factor on this range as subtle changes occur for almost every shot. When the flags are moving, something is happening. The whole range is baffled on both sides so there isn't as much wind as you'd normally see but it can be tricky especially when you move back to 900 and 1,000. We are using the ICFRA target so there is not a lot of margin for error on that target. We have also spent a least half our training time at the longer ranges because that is where the matches will be won or lost. The other reason we have practised more at the longs is because of the visibility. The pollution is so bad that you can literally hardly see the target. A couple of days it was so bad you couldn't see the number board for your target so you are not only trying to find the aiming mark in a cloud but are also trying to make sure you don't cross fire. Most days the visibility goes from bad to worse. I usually use a 3.9 insert with an eagle eye, here I am using a 4.5 to 4.7 depending on how bad it is. Jim says it was even worse when he was here in April. The range had not been seeded yet so when the wind blew there was the added dust to contend with besides the smog. That along will change the dynamics of the competition later in the week.
More tomorrow."
[my apologies for this being a day late, but there was no internet connection from the hotel last night, and we are still 'blocked' from the range]
This was the last day of the practice period. Attendance was quite small, since,clearly, most teams felt they had done enough.
Tomorrow the serious business gets under way. The format is a little unusual for a Commonwealth Games in that all shoots at one distance will be fired on the same day. Everything on Saturday will be at 300 yards, with 500 yards on Sunday and so on. So, starting in the morning, the Pairs will fire 2ss & 10 each, followed by the Individual 2ss & 7 plus 2ss & 10.
I think I've commented before on the large labour squad that shifts targets. They did a good job over the lunch break today. The target frames are very solid wood and heavy. The gang marches down the range and work very hard. Peter Turner, one of the ROs, has expropriated a motor cycle and roars up and down the range supervising the target machinations.
We did a further extensive calibration of the targets this afternoon and we are now confident that, as far as possible, all is set for a good and fair competition.
Apart from that, the day was uneventful. It was a little less hazy - there were actually some shadows cast by the sun, and down range visibility was much better. There should not be problems at 300-500-600, but it would be a good thing if the smoggy air was to clear bit before the 900 and 1000 next week.
We were privileged this evening in that our police escort had a Bren gun mounted on their jeep. They didn't use it to clear the traffic, although they must have been tempted. They were a bit aggressive in passing other vehicles and nearly forced our car driver into a head-on collision with a large truck loaded with rocks. There must have been all of an inch to spare.
I'm not sure how the India CWG web site will present running results, but do take a look at it http://www.cwgdelhi2010.com/ In addition, Sius Ascor www.sius.com also post competition results quite quickly. I'm not at all sure what the CBC or other Canadian media will do. Probably not much for shooting!
Saturday evening.
It seems as if contact has been re-established.
Today was the first day of competition, with everything at 300 yards. First the Pairs (2 & 10 each), then two rounds of individual (2 & 7 and 2 & 10). All went pretty well, apart from one target that apparently failed towards the end, necessitating a move and partial re-shoot. There were not too many other problems, and they got less as the day wore on. Most involve the procedures for conversion of sighters and shooting in pairs in the electronic system. The shooters are learning and our excellent group of ROs is teaching them. The last detail was almost a pleasure.
But it was a long day and everyone was tired tonight. Not too tired however for the most important cocktail hour before dinner. Last night, in recognition of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Liu Xiaobo, we had gone to the Chinese restaurant at the hotel - not a great meal. Back to Indian tonight and much better! Phil Harrison and I were delayed leaving the range and I think that our drive felt he should make up for lost time. We kept on telling him that we'd prefer to arrive alive more slowly rather than more quickly in a coffin. We had no police escort, so no Bren gun to impress the traffic and/or to keep our driver under control.
Tomorrow is all at 500 yards, same programme as today.
There are results both at the Delhi 2010 and Sius Ascor web sites. You have to search a little, but they are there! I couldn't see anything on Symaptico or the CBC - shame on them! These are early days yet, but here are some snippets:
Pairs: South Africa 100.15, Scotland 100.7, Guernsey 99.11, Canada 99.9.
Individual: Seven scores of 85, headed by Gaz Morris (Wales), Jim Corbett (AUS) and David Calvert (NIR). Jim paton lies 5th on 85.10, and Des Vamplew 12th on 83.12.
Finally Des Vamplew has sent me the following from the Canadian Team perspective. He promises more!
"Jim and I have been training for 10 days now with Sandy keeping a watchful eye out for us. Today will be the first day of competition. I'm sitting on the bus on the way out to the range right now. It is a one and a half hour ride both ways with 90 percent of it through the city during both rush hours. Delhi has a population of over 20 million. The security and co-ordination to get us out there is incredible, the bus doesn't stop once. They have a dedicated lane for CWG vehicles. Usually 6 police cars escort us, sirens going all the time and there are police at every corner or round about. The back up of traffic at the intersections waiting for us to go by is quite extensive sometimes. It gets a little hairy watching the bus move through the traffic if your sitting up front. There may be a dedicated lane but the drivers will use it every chance they can. Sometimes you'll see 3 cars trying to jam into the same lane, beside each other as they pass cars on either side. There are also a lot of motor cycles on the roads however the driver is the only one who needs to wear a helmet so you'll see motorcycles loaded up with a family of 4 with only the father wearing a helmet. There are 100,000 traffic deaths a year in Delhi. I wonder why.
The athletes village is now hopping, there is a community feel, people are into their routines, almost like the way Bisley turns into a mini city for two weeks each summer. The organizers have done a good job supporting athletes and making everyone feel welcome. They have an area called the zone where you find shops, internet services (which is busy all the time), a bar, disco, hair salon, along with a large bowl shaped stage and seating area that offers different types of music each night for athletes to enjoy, giving them a chance to hang out. Our routine would usually see us at the range until 4pm, getting back to the village around 5:30/6pm. We would then stop in at the bar to have a Kingfisher beer and to do a de-brief and discuss things we'd want to concentrate on for the next day. Some of the other shooters on the Canadian team would join us. Now almost all of them are there waiting for us at the end of the day. Jim will say once we get off the bus and have gone through village security , "well I think we need to continue our research at the Kingfisher Institute" and Sandy would say " we can never stop learning" and off we'd go. You'll usually only see shooters or lawn bowlers in the bar. Most of the athletes in the village are not eligible to go in because the legal drinking age in Delhi is 25. They are very strict enforcing that rule. Thank goodness I turned 26 last month.
The village includes 28 apartment buildings of which Canada has 2. Each has 7 floors with 4 apartments on each. The apartment includes 3 bedrooms with a bathroom, along with a communal kitchen, living room/dining room area and a large flat screened TV. Everything is done in marble. Jim and I are sharing the apartment with two shot gunners (a father and son duo) and a couple of pistol shooters. Everyone gets along. After dinner we'll sit around and watch some of the other events on TV as we all learn more about each others sport. The meals are better than many anticipated. The contractor is the same Australian firm that supplied the meals at the Brisbane CWG's. They are going to great lengths to make sure folks are not getting Delhi Belly, for instance the water bottles are all washed before going out on the floor because of previous handling. The dining hall is very large and offers stations that include different foods from around the world, including: pasta, tandouri, oriental, African, Asian, vegetarian and western. It's open 24 hours a day.
We're arriving at the range now so will report back at the end of the day. It was an interesting day. All shooting was done at 300 yds. We started it off by shooting the Pairs match. Jim and I dropped one point. Two teams went clean and there were about 6 that dropped one. Sorry to be so vague but I'm not paying to much attention to the board at this stage. It's still very early. Jim and I have spent well over half of our training time coaching each other. There are a lot of different variations of Pairs shooting being shot by the 21 teams in attendance. (there were 19 in Brisbane). Most have one shooter complete the whole match while his partner coaches him while laying beside the firer and there are a few that shoot together alternating after each shot. We have used the string system. Jim shoots first and I follow. You have to read your score off the TV monitor that is located at each position. We lift the monitor up onto Sandy's shooting seat (it's a perfect fit) and use my small fold-up stool, sit beside Jim and coach him in the same manner we coach back home. We are the only team using this style. We turn the sights for each other. We have had some very good results coaching each other and have communicated well to put a good system in place. Sandy has been very good making suggestions on how we can save time here and there. He is always thinking outside the box. We have cut the transition time down quite a bit so we're not feeling rushed. The Pairs relays are 32 minutes for both shooters to fire 10 on score at 300, 500 and 600. The time goes up to 45 minutes at the long ranges. Mirage plays a big factor on this range as subtle changes occur for almost every shot. When the flags are moving, something is happening. The whole range is baffled on both sides so there isn't as much wind as you'd normally see but it can be tricky especially when you move back to 900 and 1,000. We are using the ICFRA target so there is not a lot of margin for error on that target. We have also spent a least half our training time at the longer ranges because that is where the matches will be won or lost. The other reason we have practised more at the longs is because of the visibility. The pollution is so bad that you can literally hardly see the target. A couple of days it was so bad you couldn't see the number board for your target so you are not only trying to find the aiming mark in a cloud but are also trying to make sure you don't cross fire. Most days the visibility goes from bad to worse. I usually use a 3.9 insert with an eagle eye, here I am using a 4.5 to 4.7 depending on how bad it is. Jim says it was even worse when he was here in April. The range had not been seeded yet so when the wind blew there was the added dust to contend with besides the smog. That along will change the dynamics of the competition later in the week.
More tomorrow."
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Thursday evening
There is very little to add to yesterday's comments, except that this was the most hazy, smoggy day so far. The sun this morning was a fuzzy orange disc and it didn't get much better as the day wore on. In fact, at one stage this afternoon, I thought we would not be able to continue. Some white-domed tents just to the right of the range - just 50 yards or less - almost vanished and the 900/1000 yard targets were worse. However, some persevered and some even scored a lot of bulls! We do still have problems with some targets and tomorrow will see the final pusch to get enough of them working reliably.
Otherwise, I finished off the squadding for the first three days of competition, starting Saturday morning. I'll tell you tomorrow where you may be able to find scores and results.
The drive back here was relatively uneventful, although one car got left behind and was not part of the police convoy. The occupants of that car said they had the least nerve-racking drive of all so far and there were no accidents. We think the police are enjoying their position of power in sweeping aside the traffic and trying to force our cars to keep close behind. Not much we can do about this, except grin and bear it .... that "frozen smile" is beginning to hurt!
A further word on traffic. Our route from the range starts off on divided highway (dual carriageway) with a CWG dedicated lane. Only the broken bits of road cause any trouble - and there are many of these due to heavy truck traffic and monsoon washout - the potholes are impressive. Then we go on to the road through Gurgaon to Sohna, which is again mostly dual carriageway. However, the rules of where you drive are a little different from what one might be used to at home. Your vehicle stays in the left carriageway, unless that is too busy, in which case it moves into the opposing lane. Our police turn their flashing lights on and oncoming traffic is meant to give way - all have done so, so far, but often at the last moment. The wrecks littering both sides of the road show that not all make it. And then, every 2-3 km, there are "diversions". These are where to road narrows to two lanes, generally crossing a water gully, where the bridge has never existed or has been washed out. Since the area is under construction, there is no road surface at all, just rocks and bricks, and one bumps oneself around through thick clouds of dust, with the several lanes of traffic squeezed into two and our police forcing our way through against it all. How we must be disliked!! The presence of pedestrians, cattle, the ubiquitous tuk-tuks (three wheel drive 'mini-cabs', licensed for 4-5 passengers, often carrying a dozen or more), heavy trucks, tractors, bullock carts and buzzing swarms of motorcycles and small cars, makes it all a fascinating, sometimes terrifying, experience! My wife and others know how good a passenger I am in any sort of conditions, so they will appreciate the state of my nerves and blood pressure. But it's India and it's amazing! None of this can paint the real picture, but I've been snapping photos out of the car and will try to add one or two soon.
All illusions, in the end, get shattered, and one of mine was totally destroyed tonight. My good friend, Phil Harrison, poured a dram of perfectly respectable single malt (Dalwhinnie, I think) and mixed it with Sprite, yes Sprite. I am appalled! Is nothing left of civilised standards in this world?
I've kept this pretty neutral, so far, since that's the position I'm in on the Jury. However, I should say that Jim Paton and Des Vamplew are shooting well, under the benevolent guidance of Sandy Peden. Sandy was a titch under the weather today, from the usual "Delhi Belly", and stayed in the Village. Des has promised to let me have snippets and comments about the Canadian Team effort - I will add these when I receive them.
More tomorrow.
There is very little to add to yesterday's comments, except that this was the most hazy, smoggy day so far. The sun this morning was a fuzzy orange disc and it didn't get much better as the day wore on. In fact, at one stage this afternoon, I thought we would not be able to continue. Some white-domed tents just to the right of the range - just 50 yards or less - almost vanished and the 900/1000 yard targets were worse. However, some persevered and some even scored a lot of bulls! We do still have problems with some targets and tomorrow will see the final pusch to get enough of them working reliably.
Otherwise, I finished off the squadding for the first three days of competition, starting Saturday morning. I'll tell you tomorrow where you may be able to find scores and results.
The drive back here was relatively uneventful, although one car got left behind and was not part of the police convoy. The occupants of that car said they had the least nerve-racking drive of all so far and there were no accidents. We think the police are enjoying their position of power in sweeping aside the traffic and trying to force our cars to keep close behind. Not much we can do about this, except grin and bear it .... that "frozen smile" is beginning to hurt!
A further word on traffic. Our route from the range starts off on divided highway (dual carriageway) with a CWG dedicated lane. Only the broken bits of road cause any trouble - and there are many of these due to heavy truck traffic and monsoon washout - the potholes are impressive. Then we go on to the road through Gurgaon to Sohna, which is again mostly dual carriageway. However, the rules of where you drive are a little different from what one might be used to at home. Your vehicle stays in the left carriageway, unless that is too busy, in which case it moves into the opposing lane. Our police turn their flashing lights on and oncoming traffic is meant to give way - all have done so, so far, but often at the last moment. The wrecks littering both sides of the road show that not all make it. And then, every 2-3 km, there are "diversions". These are where to road narrows to two lanes, generally crossing a water gully, where the bridge has never existed or has been washed out. Since the area is under construction, there is no road surface at all, just rocks and bricks, and one bumps oneself around through thick clouds of dust, with the several lanes of traffic squeezed into two and our police forcing our way through against it all. How we must be disliked!! The presence of pedestrians, cattle, the ubiquitous tuk-tuks (three wheel drive 'mini-cabs', licensed for 4-5 passengers, often carrying a dozen or more), heavy trucks, tractors, bullock carts and buzzing swarms of motorcycles and small cars, makes it all a fascinating, sometimes terrifying, experience! My wife and others know how good a passenger I am in any sort of conditions, so they will appreciate the state of my nerves and blood pressure. But it's India and it's amazing! None of this can paint the real picture, but I've been snapping photos out of the car and will try to add one or two soon.
All illusions, in the end, get shattered, and one of mine was totally destroyed tonight. My good friend, Phil Harrison, poured a dram of perfectly respectable single malt (Dalwhinnie, I think) and mixed it with Sprite, yes Sprite. I am appalled! Is nothing left of civilised standards in this world?
I've kept this pretty neutral, so far, since that's the position I'm in on the Jury. However, I should say that Jim Paton and Des Vamplew are shooting well, under the benevolent guidance of Sandy Peden. Sandy was a titch under the weather today, from the usual "Delhi Belly", and stayed in the Village. Des has promised to let me have snippets and comments about the Canadian Team effort - I will add these when I receive them.
More tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Wednesday evening.
This will be very brief tonight, since there is little of interest to report. Practice continued, the weather remains warm and hazy, and some targets are still a worry. We have plans for the latter, which involve a new series of verifications and calibrations. Unfortunately, even with India's vast labour resources, it is not possible to rebuild the range into a conventional gallery range in two days!
Cliff Mallet and I have finished weighing nearly 8,000 rounds of ammo for the medals events. Whatever else may happen, shooters will not be able to blame over- or under-charged rounds for miscreant shots.
The equipment inspection is under way. Our rules are relatively relaxed, but several of the Indian scrutineers are ISSF-based, where the rules are anything but relaxed. I think it's now under control, but there were one or two tense "moments'.
Our driver from yesterday has been "reassigned to other duties". The drive back was better this evening, although one car (again not mine) was hit by a motorcycle. One of our ROs has now been involved in all four incidents, more, he says, than in the whole of his previous life!
Same again tomorrow and Friday. The medal events start on Saturday.
I had another good curry tonight - the restaurant here has a good buffet, with selections varying each day. But no beef of any sort!
This will be very brief tonight, since there is little of interest to report. Practice continued, the weather remains warm and hazy, and some targets are still a worry. We have plans for the latter, which involve a new series of verifications and calibrations. Unfortunately, even with India's vast labour resources, it is not possible to rebuild the range into a conventional gallery range in two days!
Cliff Mallet and I have finished weighing nearly 8,000 rounds of ammo for the medals events. Whatever else may happen, shooters will not be able to blame over- or under-charged rounds for miscreant shots.
The equipment inspection is under way. Our rules are relatively relaxed, but several of the Indian scrutineers are ISSF-based, where the rules are anything but relaxed. I think it's now under control, but there were one or two tense "moments'.
Our driver from yesterday has been "reassigned to other duties". The drive back was better this evening, although one car (again not mine) was hit by a motorcycle. One of our ROs has now been involved in all four incidents, more, he says, than in the whole of his previous life!
Same again tomorrow and Friday. The medal events start on Saturday.
I had another good curry tonight - the restaurant here has a good buffet, with selections varying each day. But no beef of any sort!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Tuesday evening
A not-very-eventful day! Practice continues in warm hazy weather, no rain in sight. Still some problems with some of the targets - a little worrying as the time for the competition draws closer. Visitors from elsewhere, including Graeme Hudson, President of the CSF, turned up, and distracted one from ones other duties - such as the weighing of the ammo. There were CSF meetings at the end of the afternoon, so the return to the hotel and dinner were later than hoped. The drive back was the worst yet, since we had the worst driver yet! He did not seem to have good night vision, and his notion of driving was to proceed in bursts of wild and violent acceleration followed by wild and violent braking. We did not hit anything (but only just), but it may be a matter of time. There will be further complaints and representations made about our transportation tomorrow.
A not-very-eventful day! Practice continues in warm hazy weather, no rain in sight. Still some problems with some of the targets - a little worrying as the time for the competition draws closer. Visitors from elsewhere, including Graeme Hudson, President of the CSF, turned up, and distracted one from ones other duties - such as the weighing of the ammo. There were CSF meetings at the end of the afternoon, so the return to the hotel and dinner were later than hoped. The drive back was the worst yet, since we had the worst driver yet! He did not seem to have good night vision, and his notion of driving was to proceed in bursts of wild and violent acceleration followed by wild and violent braking. We did not hit anything (but only just), but it may be a matter of time. There will be further complaints and representations made about our transportation tomorrow.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Monday afternoon
We got back late from the Opening Ceremony, so there was no time to ramble on last night. This morning has been rather hectic, so I'm penning a few lines now, and hope to do more this evening.
We did get there! A minibus was laid on to take us into New Delhi. It turned up late, of course, but there was plenty of time thanks to the dedicated traffic lanes. With us was Mr. TS Dhillon, the Director of the Fullbore Shooting Event, and a former Commandant of CRPF, where the range is. He is a very charming person, and wields a lot of influence. We got off the bus, relatively close to the stadium, but found that we were at the wrong gate and had to go against a crown of thousands to get to the right place. In the end, we climbed under a fence, down to a very rough track alongside a rather smelly river, and then back up a slope a few hundred yards further on. When we got close to the correct gate, Mr. Dhillon got us to the front of the line, saving probably an hour or more of standing in the queue. Security was tight getting into the stadium - X-rays, no bottles or coins, searches, and so on. Then up a long ramp to the second level and half-way round the stadium to our block of seats. We were above and to the left of the Royal Box, for those who saw something of it on TV. The show was a spectacular demonstration of Indian culture. I will not try to describe it - those who watched will understand, and my words could not be adequate for those who missed it! The stadium is large, so the dancers etc. looked pretty small, but there were lots of them and it was all a beautiful tapestry of colour with very loud music! The whole stadium shook with the deep bass sounds. We were seated soon after 5 pm, there was a warm-up show until about 6:30 and the main thing started at 7 pm. It ended with a large fireworks display soon after 10 pm. Then we, and goodness knows how many tens of thousands, got slowly to the exit and eventually found our bus. We were back at the hotel just before 1 am. It was all quite an experience! I'll try to paste in a couple of photos to give you an idea.
Today has seen the start of the formal practice period, along with a few further target troubles. At least one of the fellows from Switzerland is now here and hard at work.
More later .........
[post-script: I've just discovered that 'blogspot' is a blocked site from here at the range, so this will have to wait until this evening before being posted. Since we are (yet again) going to try to get our uniforms this evening, the posting will be later than I'd have hoped]
Now approaching midnight, and there's a busy day tomorrow. We did go into New Delhi after shooting and, to cut a long story short, got most of our uniforms. various items missing or out of stock - they may or may not show up eventually. Usual chaotic drive back to the hotel, over 2 hours. At night, with all the dust and truck lights, bonfires beside the road, swarms of tuk-tuks and people, there are scenes similar to the Inferno - just the lights replacing the fires of Hell! Our two Games cars are gradually being shaken to bits by the appalling roads and relentlessly aggressive driving. For the second time, a wheel fell off one of them tonight - not the one I was in! But the gearbox on ours may not last another day!! Had a nice prawn curry, Thai-style, and now it's time for sleep.
My apologies to all for the delay with this. I'm glad to say that one person has complained already.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Saturday evening.
A day like the previous ones ........ hot, hazy and humid ...... perhaps the most uncomfortable so far. Practice continued with no major problems.
This was a national holiday in India, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. traffic was noticeably lighter for both our morning and evening drives - our police escort had a much easier time of it! All bars and drink outlets were closed, including the bar at the hotel. We missed our "just back from the range" refresher tonight, but made do with some malt instead.
Tomorrow, there is no formal practice. We, the ITOs, will be working at the range doing the calibration of the targets. May it be a straightforward process. The Swiss engineers from Sius Ascor arrive in a day or so, and they have a number of things to fix which the locals have not been able to accomplish. We are also weighing every round of ammo to make sure there are no duds - a tedious, but necessary process.
Also tomorrow is the Games' Opening Ceremony. It is said that we have tickets for this, although we have not yet seen any. In addition, we are supposed to wear our official Games' uniforms, which have not yet arrived. So we may in the end be watching it on TV, but it would be a great shame to miss the atmosphere in the Nehru Stadium. Tomorrow night's report may clarify this.
Attached is a snap from the car taken on the drive to the range!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Friday evening.
Not much new today, which was again warm and hazy. A few more shooters made their appearance and it looks as if we shall reach the anticipated 21 teams with 42 shooters. That is a few more than were in Australia four years ago.
Most targets functioned well, with only one or two showing erratic signs. We have started to do calibration tests on the targets to ensure that the "electronic centre" - the centre that the detection equipment measures from - coincides with the "optical centre" - the centre of the visible aiming mark. The first results were promising. We expect to finish these tests and analyses on 3 October, prior to going to the Opening Ceremony. In connection with the latter, we still do not have our uniforms, although these are promised in "a day or so".
After the Opening, the more serious formal practice gets under way. We have been finishing the details of this to allow everyone to have a fair chance of practising at each distance.
We had our usual police escort today. In addition, the main road to the range was totally closed to all other traffic to allow uninterrupted travel for the buses carrying the shooters from and to New Delhi. Those who are staying at the Athletes Village say that it is much better than had been feared and reported in the press.
Our route goes through some heavily congested villages/towns, where cattle and vehicles contest the road. In between are rural agricultural areas. Here life seems much less frenetic, with one of the sights that will stick in the memory being the women, clad in bright sparkling saris, often with what look like heavy loads on their heads walking perhaps to market or to their day's work in the fields. This country is a remarkable mix of the timeless and the very new.
Not much new today, which was again warm and hazy. A few more shooters made their appearance and it looks as if we shall reach the anticipated 21 teams with 42 shooters. That is a few more than were in Australia four years ago.
Most targets functioned well, with only one or two showing erratic signs. We have started to do calibration tests on the targets to ensure that the "electronic centre" - the centre that the detection equipment measures from - coincides with the "optical centre" - the centre of the visible aiming mark. The first results were promising. We expect to finish these tests and analyses on 3 October, prior to going to the Opening Ceremony. In connection with the latter, we still do not have our uniforms, although these are promised in "a day or so".
After the Opening, the more serious formal practice gets under way. We have been finishing the details of this to allow everyone to have a fair chance of practising at each distance.
We had our usual police escort today. In addition, the main road to the range was totally closed to all other traffic to allow uninterrupted travel for the buses carrying the shooters from and to New Delhi. Those who are staying at the Athletes Village say that it is much better than had been feared and reported in the press.
Our route goes through some heavily congested villages/towns, where cattle and vehicles contest the road. In between are rural agricultural areas. Here life seems much less frenetic, with one of the sights that will stick in the memory being the women, clad in bright sparkling saris, often with what look like heavy loads on their heads walking perhaps to market or to their day's work in the fields. This country is a remarkable mix of the timeless and the very new.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday evening.
This was another warm day at the range, probably around 36C in the afternoon. The long range forecast is for more of the same for at least the next week. At least there is little or no rain forecast, although a shower might help to clean and coll the air a bit and to settle some of the dust.
Practice continued today, with more shooters in evidence. Our two Canadians, Des Vamplew and Jim Paton, along with manager/coach Sandy Peden, were hard at it, getting accustomed to the heat and the different mode of shooting.
Some issues continue to haunt us with the use of the electronic targets, some of which are still not working consistently. With this system, there is no fall-back, they, or at least enough of them, simply must work, otherwise there is no shoot! The local Suis people are doing their best, but it will be a relief when the full crew gets in from Switzerland.
Otherwise, we, the ITOs, remain in good heart. The proper range jackets have not yet arrived, so temporary ones have been issued. Keith Born is the "Butt Officer", although there are no butts! His duties have been extended to include the kicking of errant butts and the supervision of safe disposal of the legacy of the few smokers amongst the shooters. Cliff Mallet and I have been sorting an weighing ammo in the names of Appeals Jurors, and so on......
The hotel is filling up. It is said to be booked solid for the period of the Games, so it will be less peaceful than during these first few days. Our trips to and from the range are getting faster, with the police escort clearing the way. They stand no argument. Further into New Delhi, there are dedicated lanes for Games' traffic. Those who try to use them illegally are immediately arrested and put in jail. That could be a solution for the use of the dedicated bus lanes at home! Generally the traffic and people give way to the police, but the large numbers of cattle along the roads have more trouble getting the point!
More practice tomorrow. We ITOs do not yet have our Games' uniforms, which may have to be collected for New Delhi in the next day or so. Once again the police escort may be prove invaluable! We shall need the regalia to be admitted to the Opening Ceremony on 3 October.
This was another warm day at the range, probably around 36C in the afternoon. The long range forecast is for more of the same for at least the next week. At least there is little or no rain forecast, although a shower might help to clean and coll the air a bit and to settle some of the dust.
Practice continued today, with more shooters in evidence. Our two Canadians, Des Vamplew and Jim Paton, along with manager/coach Sandy Peden, were hard at it, getting accustomed to the heat and the different mode of shooting.
Some issues continue to haunt us with the use of the electronic targets, some of which are still not working consistently. With this system, there is no fall-back, they, or at least enough of them, simply must work, otherwise there is no shoot! The local Suis people are doing their best, but it will be a relief when the full crew gets in from Switzerland.
Otherwise, we, the ITOs, remain in good heart. The proper range jackets have not yet arrived, so temporary ones have been issued. Keith Born is the "Butt Officer", although there are no butts! His duties have been extended to include the kicking of errant butts and the supervision of safe disposal of the legacy of the few smokers amongst the shooters. Cliff Mallet and I have been sorting an weighing ammo in the names of Appeals Jurors, and so on......
The hotel is filling up. It is said to be booked solid for the period of the Games, so it will be less peaceful than during these first few days. Our trips to and from the range are getting faster, with the police escort clearing the way. They stand no argument. Further into New Delhi, there are dedicated lanes for Games' traffic. Those who try to use them illegally are immediately arrested and put in jail. That could be a solution for the use of the dedicated bus lanes at home! Generally the traffic and people give way to the police, but the large numbers of cattle along the roads have more trouble getting the point!
More practice tomorrow. We ITOs do not yet have our Games' uniforms, which may have to be collected for New Delhi in the next day or so. Once again the police escort may be prove invaluable! We shall need the regalia to be admitted to the Opening Ceremony on 3 October.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Wednesday evening.
With increasing numbers of teams arriving for the Games, there were more shooters at the range today. It was again warm, but perhaps a little less humid. The multi-day forecast is for low 30s, with no rain, for at least week.
Targets were available at 300, 600, 900 and 1000 yards. Most of the electronic problems now seem to be resolved, so things went fairly smoothly. A few glitches remain on isolated targets, which we hope to sort out tomorrow, when a larger attendance is expected for the practice. This will be the format until 2 October. After the Opening Ceremony on 3 October, 500 yard targets will also be introduced.
Security is quite tight around the range area. Today, we had a police escort for our drives from and to the hotel.
With increasing numbers of teams arriving for the Games, there were more shooters at the range today. It was again warm, but perhaps a little less humid. The multi-day forecast is for low 30s, with no rain, for at least week.
Targets were available at 300, 600, 900 and 1000 yards. Most of the electronic problems now seem to be resolved, so things went fairly smoothly. A few glitches remain on isolated targets, which we hope to sort out tomorrow, when a larger attendance is expected for the practice. This will be the format until 2 October. After the Opening Ceremony on 3 October, 500 yard targets will also be introduced.
Security is quite tight around the range area. Today, we had a police escort for our drives from and to the hotel.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Tuesday evening.
Some days are frustrating, and other are just, well, frustrating!
Out at the range this morning, trying to make sure that all the targets were hooked up and responding electronically. Most were fine, but there were several that simply did not respond! Possible reasons are as varied as the shapes of clouds in the sky .... electrical connections, heat, humidity, who knows? When we left the range before 1400, a thorough check was to be made this afternoon on the physical aspects. We'll be out there tomorrow to see how this has worked, and to wave the magic wand just in case.
Then we, the six ITOs, got into two CWG cars to go into New Delhi to be "accredited" and to draw uniforms. I think I have commented before on the busy-ness of the roads "system". Even with lanes dedicated to CWG vehicles, it took well over two hours to get to wherever we were meant to be. This was not helped by the fact that neither of our two drivers actually had the slightest idea where they were going, so there were frequent stops to ask directions, U-turns and so on, all in the face of the merciless volume of traffic, no doubt made even more merciless by them being stuck in the non-CWG lanes, perhaps for hours on end. A GPS would have helped tremendously and it is astonishing that with all the millions being spent on the Games, this has not been put into the Games' cars. In the end we got to the place where we should have been only to find that uniforms were not ready (not until 1 October at the earliest), the man who could have sorted out some aspects of our passes was out of the office, and the finance place that is meant to give us a small daily payment to cover some of our daily expenses was closed! It is best not to try to describe the drive back to the Hotel, evening rush hour bedlam, along with disgruntled passengers and weary drivers. All I can say is that, not for all the tea in China or the riches of King Solomon's Mines would I get behind the wheel of a car in this country. I would never drive again - being either stricken with a heart attack (which as a passenger I'm getting close to) or a severe nervous breakdown!
That glass (those glasses) of single malt had remarkable restorative effects, as did a jovial dinner.
For tomorrow - no real predictions. If you expect little, there is less disappointment. We hope to verify the remaining targets, and put into quarantine those that will not work, at least until Sius Ascor people arrive from Switzerland. There are increasing numbers of teams arriving and wanting to get shooting. We hope that most will get some chance over the day.
Frustrated, yes - but not downcast, and there is still time to get things sorted out.
Jim
Some days are frustrating, and other are just, well, frustrating!
Out at the range this morning, trying to make sure that all the targets were hooked up and responding electronically. Most were fine, but there were several that simply did not respond! Possible reasons are as varied as the shapes of clouds in the sky .... electrical connections, heat, humidity, who knows? When we left the range before 1400, a thorough check was to be made this afternoon on the physical aspects. We'll be out there tomorrow to see how this has worked, and to wave the magic wand just in case.
Then we, the six ITOs, got into two CWG cars to go into New Delhi to be "accredited" and to draw uniforms. I think I have commented before on the busy-ness of the roads "system". Even with lanes dedicated to CWG vehicles, it took well over two hours to get to wherever we were meant to be. This was not helped by the fact that neither of our two drivers actually had the slightest idea where they were going, so there were frequent stops to ask directions, U-turns and so on, all in the face of the merciless volume of traffic, no doubt made even more merciless by them being stuck in the non-CWG lanes, perhaps for hours on end. A GPS would have helped tremendously and it is astonishing that with all the millions being spent on the Games, this has not been put into the Games' cars. In the end we got to the place where we should have been only to find that uniforms were not ready (not until 1 October at the earliest), the man who could have sorted out some aspects of our passes was out of the office, and the finance place that is meant to give us a small daily payment to cover some of our daily expenses was closed! It is best not to try to describe the drive back to the Hotel, evening rush hour bedlam, along with disgruntled passengers and weary drivers. All I can say is that, not for all the tea in China or the riches of King Solomon's Mines would I get behind the wheel of a car in this country. I would never drive again - being either stricken with a heart attack (which as a passenger I'm getting close to) or a severe nervous breakdown!
That glass (those glasses) of single malt had remarkable restorative effects, as did a jovial dinner.
For tomorrow - no real predictions. If you expect little, there is less disappointment. We hope to verify the remaining targets, and put into quarantine those that will not work, at least until Sius Ascor people arrive from Switzerland. There are increasing numbers of teams arriving and wanting to get shooting. We hope that most will get some chance over the day.
Frustrated, yes - but not downcast, and there is still time to get things sorted out.
Jim
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday Evening
This was a more positive day on several counts! Three of the ITOs, including me, took the day off, hired a car and driver, and went to the Taj Mahal. This involved a 3(+) hour south to Agra. It's an awesome place, one of the Seven Wonders of the World put up in the mid-1600s as a monument by the Moghul King after the death of his beloved wife. I'm going to attach a photo for you to show we were there!
In our absence, the other three ITOs went to the range. Electronic target issues are being resolved and some shots, properly electronically recorded, were fired in the afternoon. The rest of the targets will be tested in the morning, and we hope that practice shooting will start on Wednesday or Thursday.
Teams are arriving in increasing numbers. We have good confidence that we will reach 42 shooters from 21 countries. This is the largest of all the CWG shooting events and larger than most other sports!
We did not get accredited yesterday (Sunday) due to technical hitches, but we are assured that all will be ready by tomorrow. Without this essential formalisation, none of us can be admitted to any Games site including our own!
Jim
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Sunday morning.
Our team of "International Technical Officials" is now complete. We are accommodated at the Westin-Sohna Hotel, which is a top-notch resort, south of New Delhi. Whether we will be able to do justice to, or take advantage of, the many facilities is an open question. However, the food is very good and the rooms are very comfortable.
The weather here is warm (low 30s) and quite humid. There has been no rain so far, and there is now some hope that the worst of the monsoon is over. There have been many reports on the state of preparedness of venues and accommodation for the athletes and team officials. We are remote from all that in our oasis, but we expect to see and hear more today.
Yesterday, we went to the range. It was a slow start since the transport arranged for 0900 did not show up until after 1100. It's about a one hour drive over indescribably congested and poor roads. One sees a part of India that is 100% different from the Westin.
The range looks to be in much better shape than it was in April. There is grass, at least to the 600 yard targets, and everything looks to be in good order. We did a full inspection and discussed issues with the on site organisers. There is an issue with the electronic target systems that cannot be resolved until the Sius Ascor engineers arrive from Switzerland. Since their schedule is uncertain at the moment, it is not clear when the final checking and calibration of the targets and hence practice shooting can start. We have a meeting at the range this morning to go into this further.
Today also we will go into New Delhi to be "accredited" and to pick up Games' uniforms. That drive will be about twice or more times as far as the voyage to the range - it will be interesting!
More later - Jim
Our team of "International Technical Officials" is now complete. We are accommodated at the Westin-Sohna Hotel, which is a top-notch resort, south of New Delhi. Whether we will be able to do justice to, or take advantage of, the many facilities is an open question. However, the food is very good and the rooms are very comfortable.
The weather here is warm (low 30s) and quite humid. There has been no rain so far, and there is now some hope that the worst of the monsoon is over. There have been many reports on the state of preparedness of venues and accommodation for the athletes and team officials. We are remote from all that in our oasis, but we expect to see and hear more today.
Yesterday, we went to the range. It was a slow start since the transport arranged for 0900 did not show up until after 1100. It's about a one hour drive over indescribably congested and poor roads. One sees a part of India that is 100% different from the Westin.
The range looks to be in much better shape than it was in April. There is grass, at least to the 600 yard targets, and everything looks to be in good order. We did a full inspection and discussed issues with the on site organisers. There is an issue with the electronic target systems that cannot be resolved until the Sius Ascor engineers arrive from Switzerland. Since their schedule is uncertain at the moment, it is not clear when the final checking and calibration of the targets and hence practice shooting can start. We have a meeting at the range this morning to go into this further.
Today also we will go into New Delhi to be "accredited" and to pick up Games' uniforms. That drive will be about twice or more times as far as the voyage to the range - it will be interesting!
More later - Jim
Sunday, September 19, 2010
In advance
We are nearly ready for the "off"! The "International Technical Officials" for the Commonwealth Games Fullbore Rifle events will gather in India on Friday 24th September. This group includes the Range Officers, Jury and the Classification/Verification Official. There will be a few days getting the CRPF Kadarpur Range set up and checked out, with practice sessions before and after the Games' Opening Ceremony on 3rd October. The Pairs and Individual Medal Events start on 9th October, with the 1000 yard final stages on the 13th. The Game's Closing Ceremony is on the 14th.
I hope over the next few weeks to bring you new and information about the Fullbore and whatever other Games' Events that we are involved in. My reports will, I trust, complement those from the Canadian Team which will be more specifically associated with the shooting itself.
JimT
I hope over the next few weeks to bring you new and information about the Fullbore and whatever other Games' Events that we are involved in. My reports will, I trust, complement those from the Canadian Team which will be more specifically associated with the shooting itself.
JimT
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