GEORGE CALLS FOR BETTER ORGANISATION

George Digweed believes the UK should follow the lead of rivals Russia in appointing an overall head of shooting to oversee the management of the sport.

Returning from the latest European Championships event, held in St Petersburg, where he finished third, George said he was very impressed by the facilities on offer and sees Russia developing into a top shooting nation in the next decade.

He said: "It's such a young market over there that all of their top class shooters are still coming through and challenging each other. I think it'll be ten years until someone wins a major championship, but they will have to get themselves in the position to do that."

But George believes the organisation of the sport in Russia will benefit their development and is something that the UK can try and replicate.

He said: "One thing that stands out in Russia is that they have appointed an overall head of shooting that picks the shooting team on shooters and merit and not whether they've attended selection shoots or done this or that in the system. He puts his head on the block and says they will represent Russia because they are the best four shooters at the moment.

"I think Britain needs to seriously look at the way it approaches the team membership and if we want to maintain our position as a world leader and continue in that school and attract sponsorship and investment within our sport, the only way we can continue that is by winning, and to win you’ve got to put the best shooters in the team.

"You need someone that's able to quantify his selection and someone that’s prepared to make a bold statement, stand up and get the people in the team who should be in the team, make the decisions and stand by them, and if he succeeds he gains the plaudits, and if he doesn't, he should go, just like a football manager."

George is currently shooting in 'The Clay Shooting Classic' in Warwickshire.