Guyana to host West Indies Fullbore Shooting Championships

The Guyana National Rifle Association (NRA) is poised to host the 2024 edition of the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Championships: from October 28 to November 4, 2024 at the Timehri Rifle Ranges at Yarrowcabra on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, EBD.
These championships were last hosted in Guyana in 2017, when the Guyana NRA celebrated its 150th anniversary. While the English and Scottish shooters are unable to attend this year’s championships, the countries set to participate are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA.
No strangers to these shores, the Canadians are expected to perform well. The US Rifle Team would be attending their first West Indies Championships, and Team Captain Yvonne Roberts is leading a strong team of experienced shooters who are expected to perform well.
The West Indies shooters are looking forward to the challenge from the visiting US and Canadian teams.
The Guyana NRA Planning Committee has been working collaboratively with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), led by Brigadier Omar Khan, on preparations for hosting the Championships. Intense work has been done on the Timehri Ranges in preparing the shooting banks to golf-like playing surfaces. The height of the safety backstop has been increased, and the twenty-four target mechanisms have all been serviced. Work which continues on the target frames and faces should be completed by next weekend.
GNRA Vice President Mahendra Persaud and Fullbore Captain Dylan Fields have been spearheading the infrastructural work. The GDF is expected to complete the area for the flag poles and other works to which it has committed. Guyana NRA projects liaison official Mr Lennox Braithwaite has been ensuring all works are completed.
The Guyana NRA takes this opportunity to thank Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, for his donation of materials to help repair the shooting range.
The Guyana NRA team members have been busy each Saturday and Sunday on the range, undertaking work to complete the preparations. The Guyana NRA is expected to field a ten-man team comprising Mahendra Persaud, Dylan Fields, Leo Romalho, Lennox Braithwaite, Ryan Sampson, Peter Persaud, Roberto Tewari, Sherwin Felicien, US-based Sigmond Douglas and John Fraser. The team’s lone female, shooting for the first time, is Althea Alleyne.
Guyana are defending both the Short- and Long-Range championships, and much is expected of the team at home in defence of their titles.
The Guyana NRA team last competed in Bisley, England in July, where they won the Junior Kalapore Trophy. At Bisley, outstanding performances were registered from both Peter Persaud and Lennox Braithwaite, who made it to the first and second stages of the King’s Prize respectively. Peter Persaud also shot the highest score in that team match.
The GNRA Patron, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, is in full support of the championships being hosted locally, and is doing everything to ensure the Guyana hospitality and professionalism are showcased. The Paton is expected to fire off the first shot, indicating the start of the competition.
His Excellency President Donald Ramotar had fired the opening shot in 2012.