SLSSSA shot up with hot rods
The Sri Lanka Schools Shooting Sports Association (SLSSSA), for the first time ever, received a bequest of a match air rifle and a match air pistol courtesy of Colombo Logistics. SLSSSA, which inaugurated its official nationals event last year, after being officially recognised as a schools’ sport governing body, after existing for 19 years without recognition, has made steady progress in popularising rifle shooting among schools.
Captain Harsha Weerasuriya, one of the pioneers to take up rifle shooting as a schoolboy in 1992 when the sport was introduced at Nalanda College Colombo, welcomed the move stating that it is the second best thing that has happened to schools rifle shooting.
(From left) R.M.S. Ratnayake (Secretary, Meets SLSSSA), Eric Ambalangodage (Chairman Colombo Logistics) hands over the match air rifle and match air gun to senior members of Sri Lanka Schools shooting team Lusith Jayaweera and Madushka Saram at a simple ceremony.
“In 1992, when the sport was inaugurated, I was one of the schoolboys who took up rifle shooting at Nalanda. For many years the sport existed at some schools but with the overhaul that took place a couple of years ago, rifle shooting has reached beyond its limits.”
“And the best thing the sport underwent is, being able to reach nearly 100 schools, from a mere handful. Also after years of hard work it is very much pleasing to receive an endorsement of this kind from a generous sponsor. This is a great boost for us,” Capt Weerasuriya, presently rendering a silence yet effective service as the technical advisor of SLSSSA told the Sunday Times.
According to Weerasuriya, the rifle and gun will be made available from the forthcoming Junior National Championships which will commence after the August school vacation. But he asserted that only shooters who have qualified to reach the national squad will be permitted to handle the equipments.
“The rifle and gun is worth over Rs. 200,000 and it’s a huge sum for an association which is still at its infancy. There are rifles and guns owned by some shooters and mostly the owners share their guns with those who don’t have but match rifles and guns are a bit expensive that the average ones.”
“In addition we will be making use of the pair at the forthcoming Junior International Championship to be held in Poland in November. At international events I also lend the pair of rifles and guns that I personally own. We will fulfill our mission if we could obtain at least six pairs each of rifles and guns through generous parties,” Capt Weerasuriya added.
Follow @timesonlinelk
comments powered by Disqus