Salim, Mangra among winners

The 2022 National Archery Outdoor Championships were run off last weekend at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence where local archers from various affiliated clubs waged a battle for the top spots.

A total of 27 competitors shot in the Ranking Rounds on Day 1, Saturday, and in the Eliminations and Match-play Rounds on Day 2, Sunday.

In the Match-play Eliminations leading up to the Finals on day 2, Guyana’s top archers in the Men, the U-18 Men, Women’s and U-18 Women categories, battled for the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in both the Barebow and Recurve divisions.

Beginning with the Barebow Division, Vishal Manbode won 6-0 against Fabian Ramdatt to face Jeewanram Persaud, while Sean Duncan won 6-0 against Alex Mangla to face Nicholas Hing. Hing won 6-0 over Courtley Rodrigues to face Duncan, father & son Afzal and Saeed Karim faced each other with the younger, Saeed Karim, winning 6-0 to face Mohammad Zamaluddin, and Mehandra Chatargum also took a 6-0 win over Faraad Gani to face Anand Mangra. In the Semi-finals, Jeewanram Persaud won 6-0 over Vishal Manbode, while Sean Duncan won 7-3 over Hing, Zamaluddin won 6-0 over Karim, and Mangra won 6-0 over Chatargum. In the Final, Mangra beat Duncan for the Bronze while Persaud emerged victorious with Gold over Zamaluddin’s Silver.

The Women Barebow saw Bibi Saleema Salim win against Karim. Toppin 6-0. Salim then beat Theresa Jaikishun 6-0 to go through to the Final as Roshini Boodhoo took 6-0 over Julie Ann Williams through to the finals also. Jaikishun and Williams then battled for the Bronze medal with Williams emerging the winner for Bronze, and Salim taking the Gold over Boodhoo’s Silver.
In the Barebow Men Under 18 category, Saifullah Gani won 6-0 against Nicholas Sookdeo through to the semi-final, while Lucas Chung edged out Luzigue Stanley 6-5 to go through to the finals against Christian Craigen. Gani and Stanley shot for the Bronze with Stanley emerging the winner, as Craigen and Chung fought for the coveted Gold. The Gold eventually went to Craigen and Chung settled for the Silver.

The Men’s Recurve was fast-paced as Anand Mangra eliminated out Nicholas Hing early, as did Vishal Manbode against Saeed Karim, Sean Duncan against Farad Gani, and Jeewanram Persaud against Fabian Ramdatt. The Semi-finals saw Mangra advance to the final after defeating Manbode 7-1, and Persaud pushing past Duncan with 6-2. Manbode and Duncan shot for Bronze with Manbode emerging the winner, and Mangra edging out Persaud 6-2 for the Gold, with Persaud settling for the silver.

In the Recurve Men’s U-18, Christian Craigen advanced to the final by defeating Nicholas Sookdeo 6-0, while Lucas Chung did the same against Saifullah Gani with 6-0. Sookdeo then won against Gani 6-0 for the Bronze, while Craigen claimed Gold against Chung in the final match.

The Recurve Women was the last match of the day as Shereeda Yusuf won 6-2 against Bibi Saleema Salim. Yusuf then faced Samira Duncan with Duncan winning 6-0, and Roshini Boodhoo conceding to Theresa Jaikishun’s 6-2, leaving Boodhoo and Yusuf on the battle for the Bronze which Boodhoo eventually claimed. It was then Duncan and Jaikishun’s turn to each try to get the gold. Duncan held her ground, eventually leaving Jaikishun to settle for the Silver.

In both the Women’s U-18 Barebow and U-18 Recurve matches, Malaika Bynoe was unchallenged in her category, and was awarded Gold in both divisions.

At the Presentation Ceremony after the event, President of Archery Guyana, Mrs. Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, thanked the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports; Sports Minister Charles Ramson; the National Sports Commission and Director of Sport, Mr. Steve Ninvalle, for their usual kind support and for the use of the wonderful facility for the hosting of this National event. She went on to thank all the participants for attending the two-day event.