30th MLAIC World Championship. Departure with a bang (of cannon)

Black powder, history, relaxed competitive spirit and friendship. Simply put, the 30th Muzzleloading World Championship in Valeggio sul Mincio (VR) which starts to get serious from tomorrow. There are 382 shooters involved over four days. There were 23 delegations: the largest number of Spaniards, but also Argentinians, Australians, Brazilians, Americans and South Africans. There are 47 Italians with good chances of a podium. The most classic start with a bang. Indeed, with the bangs of the cannons of the historical re-enactment, which inaugurated the 30th Muzzle Loader World Championship of the Muzzle Loader Associations International Committee-MLAIC which has already begun with training, but which is entering the hot phase from tomorrow 27th until 31st August at the Valeggio sports shooting range, in the province of Verona.

The parade of the teams was spectacular in the enchanting setting of Borghetto of Valeggio, on the bank of the Mincio. Then the evocative historical re-enactment inspired by the events that characterized the Risorgimento battles 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's nice to see the culmination of a job that required maximum commitment over the past 24 months because the world's muzzleloader had been missing from Italy for 22 years,” said the president of the National Association of Arquebusiers. “I thank the Muzzle Loaders Associations International Confederation for the trust it has placed in us. So this event is particularly important for us and we wanted to do things right." 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. A total of 2.044 performances, 1.273 with replicas and 771 with originals.

The race is spread over 4 days, from Tuesday 27th to Saturday 31st August from 9am to 13pm and from 15pm to 18pm 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 31 August at 21pm. Stefano Caruso is the captain of the Italian team: “We have a good chance of reaching the podium because the members of the team 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 at the European Championship in which many European countries took part. To keep an eye on the Finns and French in long weapons and Germany, Austria and Spain in short weapons. On an individual level the Slovakian Stefan Ernst, the German Michael Sturm, the Austrians Robert Szuppin and Herbert Wagner".

30th MLAIC World Championship

Tomorrow the first medals in the categories Manton Originali (skeet), Colt and Tanzutsu at 25 metres, Miquelet Replicas and Vetterli (also youth up to 21 years) at 50 metres, Maximilian and Walkyrie at 100 metres, the latter exclusively female category. The World Cup will be broadcast on Plus+tv, Sky channel 814, from 15 September, in three special episodes with 4 reruns.

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