A passion project turned community movement is spreading the sport of archery across Guyana

ARCHERY, a sport that has been around for centuries, is making a bold return in Guyana, thanks to the dedication of individuals like Narda Mohamed and her team at ProArchers Plus Guyana Inc. Since 2016, Narda, alongside her husband, Anand Mangra, has been actively working to bring this ancient practice into the modern spotlight. What started as a passion project to help youth and those battling mental health challenges during the pandemic has blossomed into a vibrant community of over 100 members. With their blend of discipline, community outreach, and respect for tradition, the Pro Archers have cultivated a space where newcomers and seasoned athletes alike can hone their skills and develop a love for the sport.

ProArchers
Archery is not a sport that comes to mind among the many traditionally played sports in Guyana, like cricket or football. However, archery is unique and has been around for as long as those sports as well. This is why Narda found the sport interesting. Already a lover of gun shooting, she fell in love with archery more than nine years ago. Since then, she has founded ProArchers Plus Guyana Inc, Guyana’s largest archery club, alongside her husband and club president, Anand Mangra. “ProArchers began basically to help students and many persons who were suffering from depression and so on during the pandemic,” Narda explained. She further added, “It was to help them out with activities that allowed for social distancing and also gave them something to do during that time.”

Since then, Narda has become the first-ever Guyanese to be certified as a US archery instructor and trainer. She shared, “With the new certification, we are able to continue our work and even expand the number of archers in Guyana and improve their performances as well.” Narda can pass on this certification and has trained a number of instructors and trainers since her own certification last year. She added, “We have expanded and grown. Currently, we have over 150 active members, and we have trained over 2,000 people.”

As the country’s largest club, ProArchers has collaborated with several ministries and organisations, spreading the exciting skill throughout Guyana. Now, the club has launched its archery open day this Sunday at St. Joseph High School starting from 14:00 hours. As Narda shared, “We have actually invited all archers in Guyana and the general public to come and try out archery with us. We hope to help other archers improve their skills and also share their knowledge with our fellow archers. We’re inviting all of you to come and try out archery with us. Everything will be provided.” Moreover, Narda and the ProArchers team are hoping to make the open day a monthly event.

The growth of the sport
Archery continues to grow in Guyana, with more people becoming involved and more clubs being formed. As Narda shared, “Currently, there are more than 12 clubs that I’m aware of in Guyana. There are some private clubs, some that practise informally, and some that are registered regionally. I’m also aware that there are many who practise traditional shooting. There are some that practise barebow and recurve. But the sport has grown over the years. It existed even before I started, which was in 2016.”

ProArchers has gained significant support recently and has expanded its reach across Guyana, inspiring new archers, many of whom are now competing nationally. “Our club has also touched about seven regions, excluding Regions 1, 8, and 9. We have seen many persons practising archery. Though there might just be about eight to ten formally registered clubs, they are all growing and expanding. And soon, Guyana will be on the international arena. They have already sent many archers internationally, but they are hoping to expand even more.”

With the number of archers growing in Guyana, so has the number of competitions, with Guyana beginning to make a mark on the international stage. As Narda shared, ProArchers hopes to continue to inspire others to join the sport. “We hope to continue the solidarity among a lot of countries to learn and share our knowledge on archery. It has now become a part of my daily routine, where we practise archery in the evenings and on the weekends. We hope to help others develop the sport who love archery alike,” she stated.

A bit of practical safety
President and co-founder of ProArchers, Anand, explained that the first thing to remember when trying archery is safety. “The first thing for anybody to even start archery, the first rule of archery, is safety. We are very big on safety. If you would like to join the club, you can have free trial practice wherever we practise. Every Sunday, we are at the GCC ground from 2 pm to 5:30 or 6 pm, until it gets dark. That’s when we stop shooting—when we can’t see anymore,” he shared.

It is easy for people to become excited with a bow and arrow in hand. This is why Anand says beginners have a long way to go before they can call themselves archers. “Just in case someone is new and has never done archery before, we at ProArchers will teach you the correct way, and safety starts first. Without using a bow, we will give you a stretchy band to use, which is the imitation of using a bow, with all the posture and the right movement.” He further added, “Once we are sure that you have properly pulled a bow and have performed on the stretchy band, then we allow you to use a bow and arrow, and we monitor you from there on.”

As the Pro Archers continue to grow, their impact stretches far beyond the archery range. Archery has become more than just a hobby for many; it’s a way of life ingrained in the daily routine of participants and supporters alike. For those looking to try something new or strengthen their skills, the Pro Archers offer a welcoming space to try something new.