This time of year brings both excitement and anxiety for archers as they contemplate the rewards of their hard work and dedication throughout the season, while looking ahead to potential opportunities in the sport.
This time of year brings both excitement and anxiety for archers as they contemplate the rewards of their hard work and dedication throughout the season, while looking ahead to potential opportunities in the sport.
Archers are faced with the decision of whether to pursue an opportunity to compete at the national level carefully, considering their personal and financial circumstances.
While the financial cost of participating at the national level is substantial, the experience and recognition gained make it a highly rewarding endeavour.
And here at home, more and more archers are facing this dilemma with archery in the Northern Cape witnessing a remarkable surge of late. The skill and talent of local archers has seen them achieving new heights of excellence.
In fact, at the recent Inter-Schools Competition held at Vooruitsig Primary School Club, the province’s rising standard was there for all to see, as five archers achieved a perfect 50 in the Bull’s Eye competition.
Notably, Dawid de Greeff and Philip Kotze shared the limelight by simultaneously hitting the same target, both scoring 50.
The battle for gold ensued between Kotze, the current top-ranked archer in the province, and De Greeff, ranked third. In the end, De Greeff’s outstanding performance of 284/300 secured him the gold, while Kotze took the silver with a score of 280/300.
Provisional Provincial Archery rankings released
As the 2023 archery season in the Northern Cape winds down, the Africa Genesis Archery Northern Cape (AGA-NC) has released provisional rankings for the 76 archers competing this year.
With only three more competitions remaining before the Provincial Championship on August 5, archers are eagerly vying for the opportunity to represent the Northern Cape at the National Championship in Ekurhuleni from October 4 to 6.
AGA-NC Team Selectors will choose the top-performing archers in each category (Primary Schools, High Schools, Development, and Adults) to form the respective Provincial Teams.
Additionally, archers achieving an average score of 260/300 or higher over their best five scores will be eligible for Provincial colours in Archery.
NC Archers enter international arena
Meanwhile, Northern Cape archery is being proudly represented on the international stage. Five archers from the Province were selected to represent the AGA-SA National Teams following last year’s National Championship.
They are currently preparing to compete at the International AGA Federation Tournament, scheduled for July 28–29 at Camp Discovery in Limpopo. The SA Junior, Junior Development, and Senior Teams will face off against teams from Canada, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.
Among the archers proudly representing the Northern Cape as part of the SA Junior Development Team are Otniel van Wyk (Grade 7, Du Toitspan Primary), Haajirah Hunter (Grade 8, Northern Cape High School), and Nurah Isaacs (Grade 12, a homeschooler).
Additionally, Tyra Adams, a Grade 12 homeschool student from Kimberley, has been selected for the SA Junior team, while Kimberley’s own Dawid de Greeff will compete as part of the SA Adult Team.
De Greeff, who is also the AGA Northern Cape coordinator, expressed his enthusiasm for the growth of archery and the achievements of the Province’s archers over the past 18 months. He revealed that AGA-NC is currently bidding to host the prestigious 2024 National Championships in the Diamond City, the Northern Cape’s capital.
If successful, this endeavour would provide an opportunity for even more Northern Cape archers to participate in a prestigious annual event where over 1000 archers from all over South Africa gather to compete in Bull’s Eye and 3D Archery competitions, with their families in tow – imagine the tourism boost that will bring to our city.
Discussions are already under way with various stakeholders, including the Northern Cape Tourism Authority, the Defence Force and Corporate Companies, to garner support to make next year’s national event in the province happen.
What lies ahead
Looking to the future, AGA-NC aims to expand its reach throughout the rest of the Northern Cape.
Aligned with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s vision, they aim to establish active participation in archery in at least three districts, with the ultimate goal of establishing a governing Archery Federation in the Province.
De Greeff made an appeal to local companies, the government, and the public sector to invest in this promising and proposed official school sport for the Northern Cape.
To get involved or for more information, interested parties can contact AGA-NC via email at [email protected], via WhatsApp, or by phone at 073 030 2909.
In a nutshell, the rising standard of archery in the Northern Cape promises an exciting future for this sport, with talented archers aiming high and constantly becoming more and more able and proficient so that they can represent their Province as well as their country on various competitive stages.
