MORE than 1,000 of the best sportsmen and women in the world will be in Wycombe later this month competing for arguably the biggest prizes in shooting.
E.J.Churchill Shooting Ground will host the World English Sporting Championships from April 28 to May 4.
The week will comprise different events, with the FITASC, Sporttrap and Preliminary competitions taking place at the E.J.Churchill Shooting Ground, before competitors take aim in the Championships themselves at West Wycombe Estate over the weekend.
It’s the first time the Wycombe club has hosted the blue ribband event and just a week later the National Schools Championships comes to the town.
It will be a busy fortnight.
Marketing guru Amy Martin said: “The preparations have been going on for months. They first announced that the Championships were coming here just after I started, which was 18 months ago.
“Shortly after that plans were being put into motion and last year we were getting everything done.
“It’s been nearly a year of planning but it’s such a prestigious year for us. It’s really an honour to host the Championships and we’re proud to have been selected above other grounds and other companies.
“It’s great to have that recognition.”
But instructor Mike Self says it’s no coincidence the club was given the vote.
He said: “There are 100s of clubs in England but not many of them are Premier A. And of those you could safely argue that we are the best grounds, simply because we encompass the whole range of shooting sports.
“Because we’re owned by Sir Edward Dashwood and are part of the Dashwood Estate, we have all this 5,000-odd acres available to us all within one facility.”
E.J.Churchill will also host the National Schools Championships in the second week of May, with more than 400-500 visitors each day.
BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year Amber and E.J. Churchill star Amber Hill is a past winner.
Martin said: “We’ve hosted it for years now and it’s a really popular event. It gets bigger each year.”
Entrance to the World English Sporting Championships is free everyday.
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