GUYANA has cemented its growing reputation as a Caribbean sporting hub after successfully hosting two major archery championships—and securing a massive 77 medals on home soil.
The Guyana National Stadium in Providence hosted a landmark week for regional sport, staging both the Eighth Caribbean Development Championships (CDC) and the inaugural Caribbean Championships (CC) from 22-25 October.
Athletes from 18 countries across the Caribbean and Central America descended on the South American nation, but the hosts stole the show across the recurve, compound, and barebow disciplines.
In the developmental CDC event, Guyanese archers delivered an astonishing 61 medal-winning performances, claiming 24 golds, 23 silvers, and 14 bronzes.
The haul included 49 medals won outright by Guyana, alongside 12 secured in combined-national teams—a unique format that fostered regional cooperation, with Guyanese archers partnering with competitors from nations like the Bahamas, Honduras, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The success continued in the historic first edition of the Caribbean Championships. Team Guyana added 16 more medals to their tally (four gold, nine silver, and three bronze).
Standout gold-medal performances included Fatima Gani in the Recurve Under-15 Women’s division and Juanita Persaud in the Barebow Senior Women’s category.
For Archery Guyana, the event was about far more than podium finishes. The twin tournaments served as a vital platform for regional unity, youth development, and international networking.
Archery Guyana president Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon praised the athletes’ resilience and characters, noting that the sport perfectly mirrors the nation’s Golden Arrowhead flag.
“The target measures your accuracy; your conduct reveals your character,” Persaud-McKinnon told the visiting delegations. She added that Guyana has been “pointing arrows in the right direction since 1966.”
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr., officially opened the championships and underscored the government’s commitment to expanding the country’s sporting footprint and supporting emerging athletes.
The successful delivery of the championships marks a significant milestone for sport tourism in Guyana, drawing praise from World Archery Americas secretary-general Sergio Font.
Beyond the elite competition, the event placed a heavy emphasis on inclusion. The National Commission on Disability played a key role in ensuring the championships were fully accessible, reinforcing the federation’s commitment to making international archery a sport for all.
