Daniel seventh in 10M air pistol

ACE rifleman Roger Daniel, first Trinidad and Tobago athlete into action when the XIV Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, opened yesterday, had a seventh place finish in the men’s 10-metre air pistol event.

Daniel, a member of the Defence Force, accumulated 572 points at the Sans Souci shooting range. Another TT shooter Trevor Lall had a score of 60 points midway into the trap shooting competition, which concludes today at the Campo del Tiro Higuero. Also firing her rounds of ammunition is Cheryl-Ann Logie, who will take aim for gold in the 10 metres air pistol. The national men’s hockey squad were expected to face Cuba at the CO Panam Centre at 7.30 pm last night, while the women’s will square off against Argentina today from 8.30 am. Cuban Eglis Cruz earned the first gold medal of the Games yesterday, winning the women’s air rifle competition. American Melissa Mulloy took silver and Argentina’s Amelia Fournel bronze. Cruz scored 497.4 points, Mulloy 492.8 and Fournel 492.5.

The games were inaugurated on Friday evening with an opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium. Approximately 5,325 athletes from 42 countries are participating in the games, beating the previous record high of 4,949 in Winnipeg, Canada, four years ago. Meanwhile, Yakelin Plutin helped Cuba get off to a winning start in women’s basketball on the opening day yesterday, as the Caribbean team continued their domination over the United States, winning 84-62. Plutin who scored 18 points, led her team back from a 14-point deficit at halftime. Ann Strother and Laurie Koehn each scored 11 points for the Americans, who managed only 16 points in the second half.