Sheffield’s Riley Millingham recently shot his way to silver at his first international competition in Greece.

The 17-year-old competed in the Standard Manual division of the IPSC Shotgun World Shoot in Corinth, finishing 90th overall among 167 competitors with 1 268 points. His performance earned him second place in the junior division, behind Brazil’s Lucas Schmitz Vargas.

The achievement was six years in the making. Riley started IPSC shooting at 11, initially with handguns and rifles, before switching his focus to shotguns 18 months ago.

He earned his place on the South African squad after finishing third in the general division at two national selection tournaments, held at Kraaifontein in Cape Town and the Eeufees range in Pretoria.

“IPSC shotgun is not a typical event where you stand still and shoot clay targets,” said Riley.

“There are a series of shooting stages that test your ability to shoot under pressure in the fastest possible way.”

Competitors navigate obstacles and barricades to hit targets as quickly as possible, while a range officer monitors their time and firearm safety. Each target hit is worth five points, with the total divided by finishing time to calculate a final hit factor.

“I loved Greece,” said Riley, who was thrilled with his first international result.

“It was really interesting for me to learn so much about the country’s ancient history, cultural heritage and the way of life there. I met so many people and made friends from all over the world.”

Back home, Riley trains at the Ballito Defensive Sport Shooting Club and Richards Bay Sport Shooting Club, under the tutelage of a coach he knows well.

“I do have a coach and his name is Clyde Millingham. But I just call him dad!”

Clyde, who has shot at multiple international events, joined Riley in Greece. They were among five local shooters at the event, alongside Ballito father and son Afzal and Muhammed Moosa, and Richards Bay’s Naeem Sabjee.

Riley now has his sights set on the 2030 World Shoot in Italy.

“God willing, I really want to qualify and be selected for the SA squad,” he said.