THE Tenth Brunei International Skill at Arms Meet (BISAM) is the largest held since its inauguration in 1985, said its chairperson yesterday.

In his speech to participants attending the farewell dinner ceremony for BISAM 2012, First Admiral Dato Seri Pahlawan Abdul Aziz Haji Mohd Tamit said that this year's iteration of the biannual shooting meet was their largest held to date.

He said that for the first time, they had hosted contingents from "as far as" Pakistan, Vietnam and Oman.

He pointed out that this year also marked the participation of "Lady comrades" who had successfully showcased their shooting skills. He said that this will continue to expand in the future.

Dato Seri Pahlawan Abdul Aziz congratulated the participants of the competition, saying that they had witnessed "Very skilful shooters competing at the highest level". He hoped that such active participation will continue in the future.

The first admiral also stressed that the competition was not only about winning, but also about building "bonds and friendship". He said that BISAM had always been a platform for building strong bonds among participating countries.

Last night, the participants were invited to relax after two weeks of intensive competition. Contingents from newcomers Oman, Vietnam and Pakistan mingled with participants from Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the Royal Brunei Police Force and Royal Brunei Armed Forces.

The shooting contest, held daily from January 18 at the Binturan Firing Range Complex at the Penanjong Garrison in Tutong District, concludes today.

A prize ceremony is expected to be attended by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Brunei Times