RYAN McKinnon was on point with his aim, to cart off the Overall title of the weekend Practical Pistol Match which was hosted at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Timehri Ranges.

McKinnon was followed by Ray Beharry in second place while seasoned trouper Mohamed Qualander finished in third place.
Practical Shooters of Guyana last Saturday were given a chance to display their accuracy and speed while managing power, compliments of the Guyana Sport Shooting Federation (GSSF) with the support of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the GDF.
It was another fun afternoon in the blistering sun as new and experienced shooters showed up to test their skills against one another in four challenging courses of fire. Built around safety, the sport simultaneously measures the ability of the competitor to shoot rapidly and accurately with a full power handgun in a fun, fair, and competitive environment.
Match director and president of the federation, Vidushi Persaud, welcomed participants and spectators to the match. She commended the dedication and hard work of members before she declared the match open. The safety element for this match was monitored by Guyana’s internationally certified Chief Range Officers: Michael Blake (Range Master) and Ryan McKinnon.
McKinnon finished in first place in all four stages of the shoot. He first won ‘Yoga without the Toga’ then swept ‘Over Under’, ‘Zig Zag’ and ‘Mad Dash’ respectively.
He expressed satisfaction with his shooting which led him to be victorious but noted that he is keeping a close eye on several upcoming local competitors who are showing notable improvements in the sport.
He equated this to the fact that the GSSF, supported by the GDF, provides range time so that members can attend frequent practice sessions – a norm since the establishment of the federation. McKinnon commented on the safety, frequency and quality of the matches being hosted, noting that there is balance to the matches, which does not allow for any one shooter to easily cart off top honours after winning any single stage, but rather requires competitors to be consistent throughout the match in order to be eligible for overall awards.
At the closing ceremony, special thanks were extended by the GSSF president to the Match Officials, Chief of Staff of the GDF Brigadier Phillips, Colonel Benn, GPF Commissioner Persaud, Asst Commissioner Ramnarine, Commander Hicken, OC TSU Superintendent Dehnert, Asst Superintendent Todd, Corporal Dunn and the ranks of the Armoury and TSU.
She also thanked Woodpecker Products and Mrs Luana Fernandes for the support and encouragement given to the federation and for her kind donation of the remarkable trophies.
Ms Persaud added that the GSSF is dedicated towards the further promotion of all forms of Sport Shooting for Guyana and will continue to stage matches on a regular basis which are all open to experienced and trained practical shooters.
She was impressed by the growing number of persons interested in handgun sports, an area which she noted Guyana is lagging far behind its sister Caribbean and South American nations.
In closing she encouraged all to keep up to date on the work of the federation via the website, www.GuyanaSportShooting.com.