A Suffolk shooter will be taking aim at a gold medal in next month’s Commonwealth Games, writes Katie Tassell.

Sandy Walker, from Fressingfield, will compete in both the individual and pairs categories of the Fullbore Target Rifle events at the Games on Australia’s Gold Coast, which start on April 4.

Walker only started shooting when he was a student at Framlingham College back in 2000 and has since represented both Great Britain and Scotland in international events at both junior and senior level.

In 2007 he won under 25 Team Gold and under 21 Individual Silver at the World Championships in Canada, before making his full Great Britain debut in 2010.

Walker, who will represent Scotland next month, also won the 2015 British Commonwealth Championships and the 2016 St George’s Prize at Bisley.

In 2017 he toured Canada with Great Britain and was selected for the GB Kolapore Team. He has since been chosen for the GB Palma Rifle Team to compete at the World Championships in New Zealand in 2019.

Walker won bronze for Scotland at the Commonwealth Championships in Brisbane last year – the test event for the Games – and so goes to next month’s sporting spectacular in with a real chance of a medal.

He said: “This will be my first appearance at the Commonwealth Games and I’m really looking forward to it.

“Most major competitions are with Great Britain so to have the opportunity to be a part of Team Scotland at a major championships doesn’t happen often and I’m proud to be part of a very talented team.

“Training is going well and I’ve just got back from a warm weather camp and competition in America which was good in trying to gain some form.

“Having won bronze in Brisbane last November in what was the Games test event it was good to see where everyone stood six months out, so with careful planning and training hopefully I can do better in April.”