Archery Guyana hosts National Outdoor Archery Championships

Last weekend, July 12–13, 2025, at the Leonora National Track & Field Centre marked a landmark event for Archery Guyana. Under brilliant skies and despite passing showers that added aesthetic drama, 40 dedicated archers competed fiercely across recurve, compound, and barebow divisions. The Championships doubled as both a national ranking event and a marquee audition for future high-performance squads and international representation.

A lot of firsts were achieved for the Federation; for example, for the first time, the Federation hosted the 70 m Olympic-standard shooting distances and a team competition. Together, the high-level officials, archery judges, international targets and IANSEO scoring brought an international atmosphere. Day One featured qualification rounds, followed by the Elimination and Medal Finals on Day Two.
For the Opening Day remarks, President of the Federation, Mrs Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, set the tone, emphasising discipline, sportsmanship, and national pride. She reminded athletes, “Each arrow you shoot is a testament to your dedication… this is the proving ground for excellence.” She also acknowledged sponsors, field crew, judges, and introduced the officials as the Director of Shooting, Mr Umasankar Madray, and Chairman of Judges, Ryan McKinnon.

Over the weekend, the athletes proved their mettle in brief showers, showcasing discipline akin to global standards. There was diverse participation: across men’s, women’s, and mixed divisions, veteran amateurs, developing talents, and beginners delivered performances that reflected Guyana’s growing depth in archery. The Nationals attracted independent archers from across Guyana and representatives from various clubs, including QC Archers, The Archery Guild, Pro Archers, Bow Nation and Golden League Archery.
According to Archery Guyana, the Championships were officiated with the highest standards, featuring Chairman: National Judge Ryan McKinnon, Judges: Continental & National Judge Gamal Mohamed, Judge Robert Singh, and President Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, and the Scoring Team comprising IANSEO officials Idrees Shakeem and Anoopa Ramdial, who ensured seamless, transparent scoring in real time.

The sport association also wished to extend special thanks to Guyana Beverages Inc. – Oasis Water (official hydration partner), Dr Shannon DaSilva of Da Silva’s Optical, Mrs. Alana King of Toucan Distributors, El Dorado Security Services, Mr. Halim Khan, Medina Halaal Restaurant, Director of Sport Mr. Steve Ninvalle, the National Sports Commission (NSC), and Hon. Minister Charles Ramson Jr and by extension the Sport Ministry.
President Persaud-McKinnon closed the event with heartfelt thanks, noting, “From the first qualifying arrow to the final medal shot, your dedication has inspired us. Let us carry this momentum forward to upcoming regional and international competitions.