Sol Plaatje University takes aim at archery as a sports code

THE KIMBERLEY Adventure Archery Club will host the Africa Genesis Archery Northern Cape Bull’s Eye Competition on Saturday February 18 at the Vooruitsig Primary School in what will be the first interschool and inter-club competition for 2023.

In the build-up to the event on Saturday, the Kimberley Adventure Archery Club and Africa Genesis Archery Northern Cape (AGA-NC) had the privilege of exhibiting and demonstrating archery as a new sport at the Sol Plaatje University. Students flocked to a diverse variety of stalls, exhibitions, associations, and lectures about the sport at the university’s two-week orientation and introduction programme that ran from February 6-17.

Tshepo Edison Masoeu, Head of Sports at Sol Plaatje University, said that he welcomed archery as a new sport at the university, and looking at the overwhelming interest of students this past week, the prospect of starting archery as a new sports code at the university looks promising.

Meanwhile, the participation fee for Saturday’s (tomorrow’s) event is R60 per archer, and the first flights start at 8am with subsequent flights every 75 minutes.

Spectators are allowed to attend for free, but archers and spectators are asked to bring one non-perishable food item for their ‘Because We Can’ charity initiative.

Kimberley residents are invited to go and take the family out to have a look at what archery is all about and to get involved in a sport that is open to any and everyone who is interested. In fact, archery levels the playing field in sports and offers the opportunity for everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, abilities, or disabilities to participate in a sport.

Masoeu spoke to the DFA about the institution’s interest in the sport.

“Introducing a new sports code at the university presents all students with the opportunity to participate in archery as a sport on campus at a relatively low or no cost to them,” he said. “Archery pioneers equality in sport on a global scale and offers anyone determined to excel and achieve the opportunity to compete even at the international and Olympic levels,” he added.

Masoeu further said that under the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture’s guidance in this regard, the health and growth of archery and the benefits thereof, as well as those of other sports codes, rely on a healthy local, provincial, and national club structure and regular, healthy interclub interaction in the form of competitions.

AGA-NC, Adventure Archery Club, the Department of Sport, Northern Cape Tourism, and the University all share this same vision: to promote a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

Dawid de Greeff, AGA-NC Administrative Officer, said that it is exciting to see two new clubs (Vooruitsig Primary and Sol Plaatje University) emerge in the first week of the new Northern Cape Archery Season.

“We want to invite all Northern Cape schools, those looking for an alternative to mainstream sports, or those who are physically challenged to consider embracing archery as a sport,” he said. “Archery Northern Cape also calls on businesses and financial partners to help us establish and grow the sport throughout the Northern Cape Province,” added De Greeff.

For more information or to support this budding initiative, please contact Dawid at nc@agarchery.co.za or 073-030-2909.