Two-time Olympian Nguyen Manh Tuong and Tran Quoc Cuong will be competing in their favourite pistol event in the ISSF World Cup in Munich.

Two-time Olympian Nguyen Manh Tuong and Tran Quoc Cuong will be competing in their favourite pistol event in the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Munich, Germany next month.

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Lock and load: Sharpshooter Tran Quoc Cuong will compete at the ISSF World Cup in Germany.

Tuong, 50, hopes to finish in the top six among 100 top marksmen, which would mean he would automatically qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.

At the ISSF World Cup (rifle-pistol-shortgun) in Beijing in April, Tuong finished 11th in the men’s 50m free pistol with 553 points after 60 shots, which was lower than his personal best of 567 points.

Tuong’s junior teammate Tran Quoc Cuong, 36, did even better at the Beijing World Cup, finishing in 4th place.

Cuong just missed a bronze medal when he equalled Ukrainian Oleg Omelchuck’s 559 points after 60 shots, but Cuong dropped just 0.2 points in the final 10 shots.

“The ISSF World Cup is always a challenge for Vietnamese shooters, they have to finish in top six if they want an official berth in the Olympics,” said the team coach Nguyen Thi Nhung.

“However, it does not mean it is impossible to take a spot at the London Games in two years. At the World Cup in Beijing, Cuong came close to the top four and I hope he can produce his best in Munich next month,” she said.

As scheduled, the Viet Nam squad will send eight members to compete in the men’s and women’s pistol and air mobile target rifle.

The team coach Nhung worries that the team’s lack of experience at global level events that take place throughout the year due to inadequate financial support.

“Vietnamese shooters should take part in more international competitions, as they sharpen their toughness and skills more than training does. But a lack of funding is still a problem for us in terms of world competitions,” Nhung says.

The 50th ISSF World Cup will take place at the 1972 Munich Olympic Shooting Range, Germany, from the 29th of July through the 11th of August with than 2,300 shooters participating.

The competition is regarded as an important step on the road to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, as the first Olympic Quota Places will be awarded during the event.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News