National Youth 18m Championships shoot off; record 31 archers competing

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) Sports Club Ground at Eve Leary, Georgetown was, over the weekend, overrun with archers as 31 athletes from various schools and private clubs went up to the shooting line in the National Youth 18 Metres Championships 2026.
The qualification rounds began on Saturday, July 11, with the competition expected to have continued on Sunday, July 12.
The championships showcased the growing strength of youth archery in Guyana, with young athletes demonstrating discipline, focus, and determination in a competitive environment.
A highlight of Saturday’s proceedings was the presence of Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steven Jacobs, who spent time on the ground engaging with the young athletes, learning more about the sport of archery, and offering words of encouragement and inspiration about success, resilience, and learning from failure in sport.
The competition was conducted under the guidance of a dedicated team of technical officials, which included Director of Shooting Afzal Karim; Judges Faraad Gani and Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon; Chairman of Judges Ryan McKinnon; Results Manager Saeed Karim and Results Verifier Anopa Ramdial.
The championships were slated to continue with the finals on Sunday, where the top-ranked athletes would have competed for national youth championship honours in the recurve Under-15 Men and Women combined, Barebow Under-15 Women and Barebow Under-18 Men.
In a missive, Archery Guyana extended its sincere appreciation to Commissioner of Police, Dr Clifton Hicken and GPF Sports Development Officer, Retired Deputy Superintendent Colin Boyce for their invaluable support in facilitating the successful hosting of the event at the Guyana Police Force Sports Club Ground.
Special thanks were also extended to the management and staff of Guyana Beverages Inc for providing Oasis Water and Altitude drinks, ensuring that athletes, officials, and volunteers remained hydrated throughout the day’s activities.
The event was further supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS); the National Sports Commission (NSC), and Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle.
Archery Guyana further commended all participating clubs, athletes, coaches, officials, parents, family members, club leaders, sponsors, and partners for their contributions to the success of the event and expressed its continued commitment to developing archery opportunities for young people across Guyana.