THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is now a full member of the International Military Sports Council (CISM), following the organisation’s General Assembly and Congress held recently in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

CISM is an International Sports Association composed of the armed forces from member nations accepted by the General Assembly.
CISM is open to the armed forces of all nations officially recognised by the United Nations (UN).

The fundamental aim of CISM is to promote sport activities and physical education between armed forces as a means to foster world peace.
This idea is encapsulated in the CISM motto, “Friendship through sport”.

Attending the conference was Second in Command of the Coast Guard, Commander Vernon Burnette, who represented Guyana and received the official certificate of membership.

Guyana’s accession to full membership means that soldiers will now be able to compete at all CISM activities, considered by some to be the Olympics of Armed Forces, with over 20 Military World Championships for different sports.

They also organise continental and regional competitions, including the Military World Games and Winter Games.

These are multisport events organised by CISM in conjunction with CISM member nations.
The first Military World Games was held in 1995 in Rome, where 93 nations competed in 17 different sporting events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.