MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University rifle coach Jon Hammond is set to compete for Scotland at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Oct. 8-13, in Delhi, India.

Hammond, the fifth-year Mountaineer coach and a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, will compete in the men’s 50m rifle 3 position and prone competitions.

The Commonwealth Games are an international, quadrennial event, similar to the Olympics, in which athletes from the members of the Commonwealth of Nations compete. This year’s games, the 19th overall and the first to be held in India, opened on Oct. 3, and will close on Oct. 14.

“The Commonwealth Games is an important competition to me and many others, as it is one of the few occasions where I get to represent Scotland at a large, international event,” the two-time and reigning Great American Rifle Conference Coach of the Year said. “As I usually compete for Great Britain, these games are special from that standpoint. Additionally, this is a large, multisport event similar to the Olympics with more than 50 nations in the Commonwealth and will serve as great prep for the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

“It’s exciting to compete in a new country, and just like the Olympics, it is exciting to be a part of a large athlete village. I enjoy the opportunity to share stories about WVU and the Mountaineer rifle team, and I have a great chance to spread good cheer in India.”

Hammond, a Great Britain representative at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, has competed in a number of international events over the last several months, most recently shooting at the 50th International Shooting Sport Federation World Championship in August, in Munich, Germany. He finished 29th (595) in prone and 39th (1165) in 3 position.

Hammond will return to Morgantown following the games’ conclusion. The Mountaineers open their 2010-11 campaign against Ohio State on Saturday, Oct. 16, at the WVU Rifle Range. The shoulder-to-shoulder match will begin at 8 a.m.