In his tenure as new president of the West Indies Shooting Association (WISA), Trinidadian Norris Gomez will be seeking to have firearms and ammunition more readily available particularly to the younger generation.

"I was taught the correct way to use a firearm at an early age and how to treat it with respect," said the shooter who created history at the recent Caribbean Full Bore Championships in Guyana by winning every possible award.

"A lot of people get scared when you mention guns," he pointed out "but guns are not anything to be scared about but something to respect. They need to be in the hands of trained people. That's why the bandits end up shooting one another, they ought not to be using guns."

Gomez believes that rifle shooting, like so many other sports, should be taught to youths in their early tens "However we are governed by laws which state that you cannot shoot until you are 21 years of age, except if you belong to the Cadet Corp".

Gomez feels that it is imperative that the TRA (Trinidad Rifle Association) introduce a youth arm. "We are trying now to get permission to have a youth arm at the TRA," he confirmed.

"These youths do not necessarily have to own a rifle or weapon. They would be granted a firearm user's license to be able to shoot club guns or those owned by bona fide TRA members.

"If this is allowed there will be a vast improvement in the interest and standard of shooting in Trinidad and Tobago, and the region as a whole."

Gomez disclosed that in England and most European countries, as well as in the United States and Canada, most schools have rifle clubs where students are taught the disciplines at an early age.

"What it does is teaches self control, discipline and matures them along the correct way of life...much like if you were in the army."

The country's national full bore champion is of the opinion that a costly sport like rifle shooting could be made much cheaper if the Government allow the TRA to reload ammunition.

Gomez argued that while ammunition is not allowed to be manufactured in the Caribbean, he feels that the country could save foreign exchange if the TRA are allowed to re-load.

"We would ask the Minister of national Security if he would consider allowing us to re-load ammunition," he said. "We could do it for our members and the army and police."

"This would make shooting much cheaper. As everyone knows shooting is an expensive sport which tends to keep the youths out."

Gomez also said he would be making an attempt to encourage cadets to get more involved in shooting and that he would be approaching Government to purchase equipment in the United Kingdom mainly for this purpose.

He revealed that at present there are about 20 cadets who have started training. "The army, police and cadets are all affiliated members of the TRA and do not need to pay membership fees. They are allowed to shoot on the range freely in all our competitions just as if they were members."

Gomez also thinks that it is important for top shooters in the army and police to resume regular shooting matches with TRA members.

"In days gone by, that was a regular custom," he said. "These days, this is non-existent. But we will like to encourage these servicemen to shoot our type of equipment."

The crackshot believes that "sniper shooting" is a dying art in the service because of the use of the extremely sophisticated AK 47s - similar to machine guns - which fire shots rapidly and are not manufactured with the same type of accuracy as rifles.

"I don't think there is a policeman or army man who could beat us," he stated.

Before the 1970 Revolution in Trinidad and Tobago, Gomez, said, the TRA was instrumental in getting firearm ownership for its members.

He explained that in those days the club had ammunition, which was readily available to its members.

"We could go up to the range before we went to work or after working hours to practise," Gomez noted.

"Nowadays it is totally different because all the rifles and ammunition are lodged in the police armory and only a Range Officer has permission to get the ammo," he said.

"It's a good system, however, it needs to be a little more flexible because training is confined only to weekends."

Following the Caribbean Championships a fortnight ago, Gomez is now rated as one of the country's best ever full-bore shooter. Apart from being elected president of WISA, he was selected on the West Indies team for the first international shooting tournament at the prestigious Bisley Shooting Hall in England.

Ironically, the right-handed Gomez shoots left-handed. "This may seem strange but target shooting depends to a large extent on good eyesight and since my left eye is better than the right, I decided to shoot left-handed."

The son of Margaret and Darrell Gomez started shooting at the age of nine or ten years when his father bought him a pellet gun.

"In those days you didn't need a license to own a pellet gun," he remembered.

When Gomez was about eleven years he migrated to Barbados with his family and attended boarding school.

In Barbados, at the age of 16 he shot for two years as a schoolboy.

He then quit and went to University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, before moving on to Miami to become a pilot.

After obtaining his pilot's license in 1970, Gomez went to work with LIAT in Barbados, then Antigua for three years.

In 1973, he joined BWIA and settled down in Trinidad where he resumed shooting four years later.

Being a captain on the L-1011 (Tri-Star), he says that training is difficult as pilots work shifts, as well as some odd hours, and that most of the shooting is done on weekends when he's flying.

"Only on the odd weekend when I'm off, I get a chance to shoot," he mentioned.

Gomez has shooting in his blood. His mother, Margaret, shot for T&T, his Godmother and Aunt Joyce Patience (now deceased), as well as uncles Elton and Joe Crooks, also all represented the country at one time or the other.