Archers from across the Caribbean and the Americas are competing in Guyana for top honours at the 8th Caribbean Development Championships and the inaugural Caribbean Archery Championships, which opened on Thursday evening at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
The four-day championships, hosted by Archery Guyana Inc. under the auspices of World Archery Americas, bring together competitors from Guyana, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, the United States Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and South Arrows Archery Club.
The competitions, which conclude on Sunday, provide athletes with an opportunity to test their skills against regional and international competitors, gain valuable experience and compete for podium finishes.
President of Archery Guyana Inc., Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, said the championships are particularly important for developing archers seeking to improve their performance and build confidence through competition.
“The Caribbean Development Championships provides a pathway for our developing athletes to gain experience and gain confidence,” Persaud-McKinnon said.
She also highlighted the personal qualities that archery helps athletes develop, including discipline, patience, resilience and the determination to persevere when results fall short of expectations.
The inaugural Caribbean Archery Championships adds another competitive platform for archers in the region, offering opportunities to measure their abilities against other athletes and contribute to the continued development of the sport.
The opening ceremony was attended by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr. and World Archery Americas Secretary General Sergio Font, alongside Persaud-McKinnon.
In his address, Ramson expressed confidence in the potential of the athletes participating in the championships and reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to supporting the development of archery.
“We believe firmly that there is gold medals and silver medals, Olympic medals standing right here on this ground,” Ramson said.
The championships also give Guyanese archers the advantage of competing on home soil while facing a diverse field of regional opponents.
As competition continues through Sunday, athletes will be seeking to translate their preparation and experience into strong performances, with the event providing a platform for both emerging and established archers to demonstrate their abilities.
