National Rifle Championship returns after 6 years

The Sri Lanka National Rifle Association is set to host the National Rifle Championship from March 6 to 8 at the iconic Pooneryn Naval Shooting Range in the Jaffna Peninsula.

The three-day national event, held as part of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) competition, will feature 216 shooters from Sri Lanka and overseas, and is officially recognised on the International Rifle Shooting Calendar.

This will be the first time in six years that the National Rifle Championship is being held, with the last edition taking place in 2019, where the Sri Lanka Army shooters emerged victorious.

Along with shooters from the Army, Navy, and Police, the competition will include participants from 12 affiliated rifle shooting clubs from across the country. The shooters will compete in categories such as Junior, Senior, and Super Senior, with age groups ranging from under 14 to over 70 years old. A total of 36 teams will be taking part in the event.

Notably, three skilled shooters from the Philippines have already confirmed their participation, as confirmed by Rear Admiral Manjula Disanayake, the President of the Sri Lanka National Rifle Association, during a press briefing held in Colombo yesterday. The event, which also promotes tourism, has received approval from the Ministries of Defence and Sports, as well as the Ministry of Tourism.

In line with Ministry of Defence regulations, approximately 450 decommissioned semi-automatic rifles from the Police force will be used for the competition. These firearms will be handled with strict discipline and safety measures, as emphasized by Rear Admiral Disanayake.

“Along with the shooters from the Police and Armed Forces, 12 rifle shooting clubs from across the country will be participating, all adhering to the regulations of the Ministry of Sports and Ministry of Defence. To date, no disciplinary violations have been reported in the sport,” Rear Admiral Disanayake said.

The competition will award valuable trophies, prizes, and certificates to the shooters who achieve the highest scores by hitting targets in the shortest amount of time, as explained by former military Colonel Janaka Ritigahapola, an expert in rifle shooting.

Representatives from the International Practical Shooting Confederation and Sri Lanka’s shooting delegation, including Meenaka Liyanage, were also present at the press briefing. (SJ)

 Source:Daily News