A CHRISTMAS message for isleofman.com readers from Tim Kneale who won a bronze medal in individual double-trap shooting for the Isle of Man at this year's Commonwealth Games:
“I hope everyone has enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and that you will all enjoy a safe, happy and healthy New Year. This has been a great year for the Isle of Man in sport and it’s a privilege to be part of the story.”
Tim’s was the Isle of Man’s 10th Commonwealth Games medal, following in a line of Manx sportsmen and women who have brought honour to the Island over the years. His medal in Delhi in October was the Island’s second of the Games, alongside track cyclist Mark Christian who also won a bronze.
“In the sudden death shoot-off for the bronze medal I knew that I had to forget what the other guys were doing and concentrate on my own shooting.”
Tim, 28, was competing in the shoot-off for the medal against two Indian shooters, including the junior world champion after the three had tied on 186/200 at the end of the final. “It was a tense moment, but I was fortunate enough to shoot better than my opponents and take the medal.”
He added, “A big part of shooting is concentration. You have to be focused and realise you’re there to do a job and not be distracted by what other people are doing. It’s all about what you do and how you perform on the day. In short, if you shoot all the targets then you will not be beaten - it’s as simple as that.”
Tim paid tribute to his long time coach Martin Barker from Shropshire who has been helping him for several years. “His assistance has been invaluable and I could not have done this without him,” he added. He also had a special tribute for his father Michael - who introduced him to shooting as a boy - and his mother Shirley for their "fantastic support and encouragement over many years."
For any young aspiring shooters in the Isle of Man, Tim said that there was no short cut to the top - practice and coaching are essential but he gave great praise for the shooting fraternity in the Isle of Man which he said is one of the best places to learn the sport.
He said that juniors were strongly encouraged on the Island, such as at Blue Point, where he learned to shoot, and experienced shooters were also keen to help young people come through the ranks.
“The standard in the Isle of Man is very good and the standards in Britain are exceptional,” he added. “The Isle of Man also has a really good track record over the years in shooting at the Commonwealth Games and there’s no reason why this shouldn’t continue.”
Tim now has his eyes firmly set on getting into the Great Britain team for the London Olympics in 2012 and will continue to compete around the world in the next 18 months in an attempt to qualify. He knows it’s a huge challenge, but Tim now has the experience of winning a medal at the highest level and obviously has the ability.
“I will work as hard as possible to get into the Great Britain team. I realise it’s a big step up, but I’m prepared to try my hardest to get there. To compete in the Olympics would be fantastic.
“In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys the New Year and that particularly those involved in sport achieve their goals and ambitions.”
