Inter regiment practical rifle shooting competition 2004 Gemunu Watch grabs shooting shield

The Army Small Arms Association (ASAA) organized Inter Regiment Practical Rifle Shooting Competition - 2004, an annual event Eagerly awaited by riflemen of all Army Regiments got under way recently (26 July - 01 August, 2004) at the Diyatalawa Army Firing Range.

Twenty two teams and thirty three individual shooters from different Regiments and twelve individual competitors from Army Training Schools joined the contest along with one team of Officer Cadets from the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA).

The competition, conducted in four phases selected the Best Regiments in the Army at the initial stage. Of them, the best twenty shooters, were adjudged to qualify for the final contest, known as “Surprise Shoot”. The Army's Best Shot for the year was picked up from that encounter during this ASAA organized event.

Private M. M. N. Koswatte of the Gajaba Regiment emerged the overall Best Shooter in the Army by a thin margin to be followed up by runners-up Corporal Saman Kumara of the Gemunu Watch (1st Runner-up) and Lance Corporal T.O.A.C.K. Abeywardana of the Gajaba Regiment.

The overall winning team of the Gemunu Watch was made to give a challenging resistance to the Gajaba shooters who claimed for an unbroken record of victory continuously over the past three years.

Following results were achieved by the winners after a strenuous competition.

First - 'B' team of the Gemunu Watch (GW)

Second - 'B' team of the Gajaba Regiment (GR)

Third - 'B' team of the Sri Lanka National Guard (SLNG)

Fourth - 'A' team of the Gajaba Regiment

Fifth - Special Forces (SF)

Winners of the Senior Officers competition

First - Colonel P.V.S. Vithanage

Second - Lieutenant Colonel S.P.A. Rodrigo GR

Third - Colonel S. Ranasinghe

The certificates were awarded to winners by Major General T.T.R. De Silva, Operations Commander, Colombo, the Chief Guest on the invitation of Brigadier S. M. De A. Rajapakshe, Chairman ASAA. Brigadier Srinath Rajapakshe, Colonel K. W Edema, Major S. J. N Ritigahapola and Major H. P Seneviratne, were instrumental in getting this whole event a reality supported by the Marksmanship and Sniper Training School.