… receives WIFCSC championship trophy

PRESIDENT David Granger yesterday accepted the invitation by the GuyanaNRA to be the body’s Patron.During a courtesy call at the Ministry of the Presidency, the Commander-in-Chief assured the GuyanaNRA of his administration’s support while describing the sport as one of pure skill, developed

over a period of time.
“Shooting should not be regarded as an elite sport for a few people. I would like to see people in other regions becoming involved in Regional Rifle Associations. I would like to recommit myself to supporting this sport. It is an area in which Guyana has achieved prominence in the Region and further afield and I would like to see more people involved in shooting at targets rather than shooting at one another,” President Granger said.
The team also presented the president with the West Indies Full-bore Shooting Council (WIFBSC) Short Range trophy.
Meanwhile, Army Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Mark Phillips, who is also the president of the GuyanaNRA, said that having the President as patron of the Association is a tradition, as it is a position that every past president of Guyana has accepted.
The team recently retained the coveted trophy, having won it in 2014.
The local shooters, who scored an overall total of 1120.70 points after competing in the 300, 500 and 600 yards categories, dedicated the win to the country on the occasion of its Golden Jubilee of Independence Anniversary.
The team’s coach, Mr Paul Slowe, said that the trophy is a symbol of shooting supremacy in the Caribbean, noting that in the last 10 years Guyana have only lost twice. He expressed GuyanaNRA’s gratitude to the Government and sponsors whose support is vital to the Association, particularly since shooting is not a spectator sport.
“We boast that of all the sporting disciplines in Guyana, none can compare to us. Every event that we go to, whether it’s at the international stage at the Commonwealth Games, where we are the top Caribbean team, or regionally, there is no team that can bring back as many trophies and medals as we do,” Mr Slowe said.
Next year, the GuyanaNRA will be celebrating its 150th anniversary and to commemorate this milestone, a major competition is being planned for October 2017 with participating teams from the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, the Caribbean and elsewhere.