Archery Guyana hosts successful ‘virtual’ AGM

Archery Guyana Inc., continues to lead the way for sports entities and set a precedent when it hosted the first virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) in late October via an online platform. 

Stabroek Sport understands that discussions were primarily centered on plans for the way forward to promote the sport of Archery.

The meeting commenced with president of Archery Guyana, Mohamed Gamal Khan, delivering powerful opening remarks to the members present.

Thereafter, minutes from the previous meeting were adopted and then Secretary-General of Archery Guyana, Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon delivered a comprehensive report to the membership.

She gave a brief background from its establishment in August 2014 to the end of the reporting period of October 30, 2020. Persaud-McKinnon reported on the status of the website, membership, the various sub-committees and the proposed national school programme which had started just before the COVID-19 pandemic, with the introduction to Isa Islamic Academy and Queen’s College. 

International events were also reported on such as the World Archery ranking tournament, in Santiago City, Chile, last year. Wayne Gerald DeAbreu, represented Guyana at the event which also served as the second stage of a qualifier for the 2019 Pan-American Games, in Lima, Peru. 

The Caribbean Beginners and Developmental Championships were also reported on with Robert Singh’s participation in Santo Domingo.

The Caledon Tournament in Ontario, Canada was highlighted when Devin Persaud created history as the first Guyanese to secure a Minimum Qualification Score for Recurve Men with a 640 score resulting in Guyana being placed on an official list released by World Archery as one of the countries eligible to apply for the invitational place at the Olympics. 

Double 720 Qualification (Baltimore) was also mentioned where Wayne Gerald DeAbreu and Devin Persaud also participated. This World Archery approved tournament resulted in DeAbreu recording a 626 score and Persaud a 620 score.

With respect to local competitions, the inaugural Archery Guyana’s Seven Seas Indoor Championships 2019 was reported on especially that the result demonstrated the positive effects of Archery Guyana’s Development Programme where ordinarily lower-ranked archers outshot the more senior archers to put themselves in top spots. 

Archery Guyana was extremely active with its events and communication during the COVID-19 pandemic with members, which included the issuance of a document with recommendations relating to safety measures when returning to training, the suggested protocol set by World Archery regarding the safety measures to return to regular training together with a document released by the WA Medical Committee.