There has been very little activity in the shooting space over the past six months. It became obvious a few months ago that the 2021 Oceania Shooting Federation (OSF) Championships would not be a viable proposition for most of our members and the competition was cancelled. Events since then have proven that, as sad as it is, it was the right decision.
On the good news side, the OSF have received a grant from the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), which is to be used for the development of the shooting sports in the region. This is very much appreciated, and we plan on putting these funds to good use.
The General Assembly for 2021 was held via Zoom earlier this month. Among the highlights of the meeting, included the Federation electing a new president; Cath Fettell. She takes over from Ewen Pirie (NZ).
Cath has many years in shooting sport administration and is also a current member of the ISSF Executive Council and the Australian Olympic Committee.
The remaining Executive members were elected unopposed.
Amongst the issues discussed was a need to lobby the various island nations governments to allow shooting for juniors. Currently many of the island nations have restrictions on anyone aged 18 years – and, in the case of Samoa, 21 years – or under owning or handling firearms. This makes development of the sport in the region very difficult. As we all know most top athletes start young!
Work will also be done on developing the officiating and coaching structures within the OSF. A more formalised structure for accreditations is required, and the Federation has the expertise within its ranks to develop a robust system. Included will be the development and delivery of training programs.
The OSF will also be updating and redeveloping the website, and will include links to social media platforms. This is a long overdue project and it is exciting it is finally happening!