McKinnons, Thomas victorious at B.M. Soat’s Annual Costume Match

…“Grill-Master”, “Mrs Skeleton” among winners in respective categories

Halloween was celebrated by sport-shooters in Guyana last Sunday, 30th October, 2022, when the Guyana Sport Shooting Foundation (GSSF), for the fifth year, hosted its Annual Costume Match, which BM Soat Auto Sales backed.
The GSSF held their annual themed competition, a very keenly contested one, within the confines of the safety rules and watchful eyes of Range Master Mr. McKinnon and his team of range officials.
The Timehri Range was transformed just after noon, as members turned out in their costumes, with appearances ranging from the camouflaged Max Vestappen, Mr and Mrs. Incredible, Mrs. Mercedes Hamilton, the Water Boy, The Punisher, Ironman, Star, the Londoner, the Grill Master, a Fisherman, Guyana’s finest, an IT Guy, a Ghost, Muscle Man, a Skeleton, and even a clown came out to participate. Al participated within the safety confines of the sport.

Opening remarks were made by Match Director Captain Gary Sahai, who welcomed participants, identified the officials for the afternoon session, and declared the Match open. Shooters were placed in two squads shooting the three Steel Challenge Stages.
The three-stage match consisted of sanctioned S.C.S.A. stages, namely 5 to Go, Speed Option, and Roundabout. With safety and efficiency in mind, shooters were organised in a shooting order, and took turns on each stage, which gave rise to a lot of tense moments as spectators and competitors were treated to some pinging fun.

The competition requirements were as simple as the scoring: the shooter would assume his/her position in a 4-foot square shooting box with hands above their shoulders. Upon the beep of the electronic timer, he/she would then draw their firearm and shoot at the targets. The timer stops when the shooter hits the stop plate. The competition also featured a Wildcat division, with the start position being the shooter aiming at a stick in the ground some distance away.
The Stats Officer for this match was Dr. Pravesh Harry, who released the results as follows:
Limited Division
1st – Ryan McKinnon (56.87 seconds)
2nd – Pravesh Harry (63.15 seconds)
3rd – Rajiv Latchana (77.75 seconds)
Production Division
1st – Dallas Thomas (82.14 seconds)
2nd – Michael Blake (103.44 seconds)
3rd – Matthew Phang (104.72 seconds)
Wildcat Division
1st – Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon (62.65 seconds)
2nd – David Dharry (68.80 seconds)
3rd – Romesh Latchana (116.99 seconds)
After the presentation of trophies, a special announcement was made as to a decision made to award medals to the shooters in the unclassified beginner category, thereby giving way to the following results:

Unclassified Division
1st – Romain Muniram (152.37 seconds)
2nd – Romel Edmondson (183.62 seconds)
3rd – Rohandev Persaud (214.66 seconds)
The Board of Directors wishes to commend the Match Director, Range Master, Stats Officer, Range Officers, and the shooters for ensuring an efficient event. Special thanks also to the Guyana Defence Force Chief of Staff, Commissioner of Police, OC and ranks of TSU, and the Guyana Police Force, the Media, and GSSF members for their support in promoting practical shooting locally.
Aquafina Water and Ice Inc. Match Director Capt. Gary Sahai expressed appreciation to the Management of B.M. Soat Auto Sales of Lot 9 Croal Street, Georgetown for their continued support to the promotion and building of the sport in Guyana. Sincere thanks were especially extended to Mr. Bashair Mohamed, Mrs. Priya Mohamed and Mr. Rameez Mohamed of BM Soat Auto Sales.
For more information on the GSSF, please visit our website www.GuyanaSportShooting.com
The GSSF, an affiliate of the Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA), will continue to host this action-packed shooting sport for local pistol shooters by organising such matches on a regular basis.