PRESS RELEASE

 

IT STARTS WITH A BANG (OF A CANNON)

 

Black powder, history, relaxed competition and friendship. In a few words, the 30th Muzzle Loading World Championship in Valeggio sul Mincio (VR) that will start getting serious today.

There are 382 shooters involved over the four days. There are 23 delegations: the Spanish in the majority, but also Argentines, Australians, Brazilians, Americans, South Africans.

There are 47 Italians with a good chance of a podium

 

27/08/2024 – The most classic start with a bang. Or rather, with the bangs of the cannons of the historical reenactment, which inaugurated the 30th Muzzle Loading World Championship of the Muzzle loaders associations International confederation-MLAIC that has already started with training, but which enters the hot phase from tomorrow 27th until 31st August at the Tiro sportivo Valeggio, in the province of Verona.

The parade of the teams, yesterday evening, was spectacular in the enchanting Borghetto of Valeggio, on the banks of the Mincio river. Then the evocative historical reenactment inspired by the events that characterized the battles of the Risorgimento fought in these places in the second Italian war of independence. Rifle and cannon shots, troop movements simulated the type of combat of the times.

“It is beautiful to see the culmination of a job that required maximum commitment in the last 24 months because the world muzzle-loading rifle had been missing from Italy for 22 years”, said
Gianmario Delvò, the president of the Confederazione nazionale degli archibugieri-CNDA. “I thank the Muzzle loaders associations international Confederation for the trust they have placed in us. So this event is particularly important for us and we wanted to do things properly”. The general secretary of the MLAIC, the German Gerhard Lang, seemed particularly impressed by the Italian organization.

The delegations come from 23 countries, for a total of 382 shooters: Argentina (2), Australia (4), Austria (44), Belgium (3), Brazil (2), Canada (7), Czech Republic (12), Finland (10), France (19), Germany (25), Great Britain (16), Hungary (16), Holland (8), Norway (7), Poland (13), Portugal (5), Slovakia (17), South Africa (2), Spain (55), Sweden (17), Switzerland (30), United States (21). There are 47 Italians. In total 2,044 performances, 1,273 with replicas and 771 with originals.

The competition is divided into 4 days, from Tuesday 27th to Saturday 31st August from 9 to 13 and from 15 to 18 with some variations for all 27 MLAIC shooting specialties at 25, 50 and 100 meters and the 4 clay shooting specialties. Closing banquet on Saturday 31st August at 9pm.

Stefano Caruso is the captain of the Italian team: “We have a good chance of reaching the podium because the team members are elements of proven experience who have already won titles at an international level in the past. The Italian shooters come from a selection already at the Italian Grand Prix and the European Championship in which many European countries have taken part. Keep an eye on the Finns and French in the long guns and in the short guns Germany, Austria and Spain. On an individual level the Slovakian Stefan Ernst, the German Michael Sturm, the Austrians Robert Szuppin and Herbert Wagner”. 

Today the first medals of the categories Manton Originals (clay pigeon), Colt and Tanzutsu at 25 meters, Miquelet Replicas and Vetterli (also youth under 21 years) at 50 meters, Maximilian and Walkyrie at 100 meters, this last category exclusively for women.

The World Cup is broadcast on Plus+tv, Sky channel 814, from September 15, in three special episodes with 4 reruns.

The technical sponsors of the event are: Conarmi, FAIR, EOS, Nosparo, Farmacare-Nonoise, Davide Pedersoli, Tanfoglio, Uberti.

 

For information: www.cnda.it, info@cnda.it.

Press office: Massimo Vallini, massimo_vallini@yahoo.it, +39.338.87.92.386.

Images and videos: ©Studio Monducci/CNDA.