The Metallic Silhouette Shooting National Championship 2017 was conducted by the National Rifle Association at the Negombo Rifle Shooting Range, Katana recently.
152 shooters from the Army, Air Force, Police, Special Task Force and Clubs affiliated to the National Rifle Association participated in the Championship.
Metallic silhouette shooting is a shooting disciplines that involves shooting at steel targets at varying distances with high powered big bore (ie large calibre) and small bore (ie small calibre) firearms. The Championship consisted of the small bore light rifle and the small bore silhouette rifle categories and the aggregate of two. The Sri Lanka Army “A” Team emerged victorious, winning the small bore light rifle and the small bore silhouette rifle categories and the aggregate of two with the Sri Lanka Army “B” and “C” teams coming second and third respectively.
The Sri Lanka Army shooters also established five new National records at this Championship. Captain PKJS Gayanga was placed overall champion with WO II KB Rathwaththe and major C S Rathnayake being placed overall second and third respectively. In 2016 the Sri Lankan team comprising of shooters from the Sri Lanka Army won the World Championship in South Africa and hope to repeat their performance at upcoming Metallic Silhouette Shooting Championship in Finland.
The Sri Lanka Army Team was coached by Brig Subhashana Welikala under the guidance of success with the shadow partners of Brigadier Senarath Nivunella, Chairman Army Small Arms Association Brigadier Lal Chandrasiri, Army Small Arms Association