Shooters from Schools, Navy, Army shine at NSSF Rifle and Pistol Open
Shooters representing Sri Lanka Schools Shooting Sport Association (SLSSSA), Army Small Arms (ASAA) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Musketry shared honours at the NSSF Rifle and Pistol Open Championship 2024, conducted at two official shooting ranges sanctioned by the National Shooting Sport Federation of Sri Lanka (NSSF).
At the National Range in Kohuwela, where the 10m Airgun events were held between August 8 and 14, SLSSSA shooters dominated the show, while ASAA shooters were virtually on par with the top performers. At the Sri Lanka Navy Shooting Range in Welisara, where the 25m and 50m rifle and pistol events were held from August 27 to 30, the SLN Musketry shooters made use of their home advantage, while ASAA shooters were yet again within close range.
10m Air Pistol Women winner A.I.D.A. Kulatunga (centre) flanked by silver medalist Ruwini Abeymanna (right) and Nehasha Weerasinghe (left), the bronze medal winner
S.M. Rathnayake, Vinuthmee Seneviratna, Abhilash Indisa Manage, Ravin Premaratne, Neja Dasanayaka and Thiveja Dasanayaka outshone for school shooters by winning their respective events. In addition to the six gold medals, the school shooters claimed five silver and seven bronze medals from a total of 12 events. They also claimed the gold medals at four team events, out of a total of seven, with ASAA winning two and Police earning a solitary team win.
SLN Musketry shooters totally conquered the 50m events, winning all five gold medals, in addition to the five silver medals and two bronze medals from the five events. H.D.P. Kumara and K.K.G. Perera won two gold medals apiece while D.M.S.M. Dissanayake won the remaining gold medal for SLN Musketry. They also accounted for five gold medals from seven team events, where the remaining two were grabbed by ASAA shooters, who also claimed three silver medals.
Cambrian Shooting Club athletes Thisangi Geethma and Suranga Fernando were dominant in the 25m event, winning one each while A.D.D. Karunathilaka of ASAA and former Olympian Ruwini Abeymanna, representing Negombo Rifle Shooting Club, won a gold medal each in the four events lined up.
Nearly 200 shooters representing NSSF affiliations — Sri Lanka Schools Shooting Sport Association (SLSSSA), Clay Target Shooting Club of Colombo (CTSCC), Negombo Rifle Club (NRF), Magnum Shooting Sports Club, Wayamba Shooting Club, Hill Country Shooting Club, Cambrian Shooting Club, Scorpion Shooting Club, Police Shooting Club, Army Small Arms (ASAA), Sri Lanka Navy Musketry, Sri Lanka Air Force, Athugala Shooting Club, Siyane Rifle Shooting Club, Sports Shooting Club Nuwara Eliya and Magam Shooting Club — were part of the 11-day competition held under two phases.
The concluded event was part of the preparation process of NSSF, in collaboration with SLSSSA, in selecting contenders for the Youth Olympic Games 2026 to be held in Senegal.