The NC Province’s archers went head-to-head with archers from the Western Cape, both here at Vooruitsig Primary School and virtually, and the local archers achieved remarkable success.
MORE than 40 archers from the Northern Cape recently gathered at Vooruitsig Primary School in Kimberley to participate in the inter-school, inter-club, and inter-provincial bull’s-eye and 3D archery competitions.
The Province’s archers went head-to-head with archers from the Western Cape, both here at Vooruitsig Primary School and virtually, and the local archers achieved remarkable success. The Northern Cape archers also took their Western Cape opponents by surprise in the virtual competition, winning a total of eight medals in different categories.
The results for the Northern Cape archers were impressive, with competitors from various age groups and categories showing off their skills. Hennie Victor, Jaco Niemand, and Otniel van Wyk took the top three spots in the Primary Boys Bull’s Eye, while Elrize de Greeff, Lilly Heuwel, and Mariam Richards took the top three spots in the Primary Girls Bull’s Eye.
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In the High School Boys Bull’s Eye competition, Terence van Eck and Wietsche Hoek secured first and second place respectively. Tru Shaw, Tyra Adams, and Naadirah Cader took the top three spots in the High School Girls Bull’s Eye.
The good results didn’t end there, with Schalk van der Merwe, Philip Kotze, and Dawid de Greeff placing first, second, and third in the Adult Men (AAG) Bull’s Eye competition, and Odette Victor, Karin Bester, and Annemarie de Greeff taking the top three spots in the Adult Women (AAG) Bull’s Eye.
Ultimately, the event was a resounding success, with archers from both sides showcasing their talents and skills, improving their personal best scores, and thanks to the competition provided by their Western Cape opponents, pushing the standard of archery in the Northern Cape to new heights.
The event marked the first official AGA-SA 3D competition in the Northern Cape, adding an exciting element to the competition for the archers. The highlight of the event was Schalk van der Merwe’s performance in the adult category. Schalk achieved three perfect 50s in the Bull’s Eye and 3D competitions, achieving a whopping 290/300 in the Bull’s Eye competition – the highest score AGA-NC has seen since its start in January last year.
It was in the Bull’s Eye competition where 15 Northern Cape archers improved their personal best scores, while three others – Annemarie de Greeff, Mario Oosthuizen, and Terence van Eck – achieved perfect 50s on the 10m distance.
The event was also a baptism of sorts for two Sol Plaatje University students who participated for the first time. The two ‘rookies’ impressed and fared exceptionally well. One of the students, Jaimee Lee Taai, achieved a score of 267 out of 300 in her first-ever Bull’s Eye competition, putting her in fourth place in the adult women category.
Meanwhile, Van der Merwe, who is also the AGA-NC coordinator, expressed his excitement at the overall increasing standard of archery in every event thus far.
• In other exciting news, the Kimberley Adventure Archery Club will be hosting the African Bow Hunting Organization’s 3D Leg 1 competition at the Kimberley Big Hole Driving Range. The competition starts on Saturday and runs till Sunday.
This competition marks the first ever sanctioned 3D event held to be in Kimberley. During this event, archers or hunters will be able to rack up scores that will eventually count toward their yearly totals. From these totals, they will be able to receive district, provincial, national, and Protea colours in archery.
The competition, though seemingly straightforward, is rather challenging. During this event, 20 3D animals will be placed at different distances and sections of the bushes at the driving range. Archers will only be only allowed to shoot one arrow per target, and at the end of each event, the archer with the highest total out of 220 will be crowned the winner.
Spectators are welcome to attend and enjoy this thrilling twist to local archery. A full bar and restaurant will be available at the venue, but unfortunately, no cooler boxes will be allowed.
