David Calvert – Captain GB Palma Team 2019
It is an honour and a privilege to have been asked by the Council of our National Rifle Association to captain the Great Britain team to the World Championships in New Zealand in 2019. It is also a considerable responsibility and a task that would not be possible without the hard work of an effective management team, the enthusiasm of the full squad and of course the support of friends and family left behind.
The team match for the Palma trophy is the pinnacle and blue riband event of the international target rifle shooting calendar, taking place just once every 4 years and attracting teams of the very best marksmen and women from all over the world. As we leave United Kingdom shores for the other side of the world, it will have been 3 years since our team selection process began and 2 years since we commenced dedicated training with a squad of 36 potential team members.
Our mission is to perform to the highest standards, in order to retain the Palma team trophy won by Great Britain at the previous World Championships in the USA in 2015. We have a significant challenge ahead of us, but one that I know our team will embrace and enjoy, doing so in the finest spirit of international competition.
David Calvert
Captain