Looking to travel?

 

 

 

As Published in the US and International Archer and Archery Action Magazines March 2012

Well I we have a tournament or two just around the corner for you be it as a competitor, spectator or an armchair tourist doing your traveling on the net. To kick off we have the European Pro Archery series. This will be starting with the Doinker Welsh Masters 21^st to 22^nd of April to be held at Canada Lake, near Cardiff, this event will be pitting the best Professional archers the world has to offer against those up and coming archers looking to de-thrown the masters.

If you are in the spectator class, you can either be there in person to watch the action and take in the majesty of the Welsh countryside and enjoy everything Wales has to offer or sit back in a comfortable lounge chair at home as I have done and watch live event Coverage on www.pro-archery.com . I found that the camera work was excellent as you are able to see the finest detail in the shot right down to the impact of the shaft as the split screen gives you that extra dimension. As well as the split screen you have the live score board that you simply click on to see the archers shoot history.

Then a little later in the year you have the Cartel Classic at Mullenborn Germany this is the 2^nd Pro shoot for 2012 on the 16^th and 17^th of June at the Mullenborn sports club. This too is broadcast live and free on the net.

 

Since spending a day shooting there last November this has become one of our favourite places to shoot; the country side is magnificent with plenty of affordable accommodation in the adjacent villages, excellent shopping and local restaurants. The ranges at the Mullenborn Club are a dream to shoot with some very challenging shots  both up and down hill so don’t forget to bring your good hiking shoes. Lighting is something that can add another layer of difficulty to a shot, I found this to be the case on the third shot of the 80 yard walk up set as a medium grade uphill target behind the clubhouse. For this shot we were standing in the gloom of the forest with a shimmer of light playing across my lens at least that is my excuse for dropping that point on the 60 Yard.

The country is a little steep in places but not an extreme range, for those who have shot at the magnificent ranges of Mount Tiger in the New Zealand north island you will find these a bit easier but just as challenging and equally as beautiful . The club members we met made us feel like we had walked onto our own home ranges they were just so helpful and friendly but it is like that no matter where you go to shoot the world over isn’t it?

Mullenborn is well worth going to just for the local scenery and don’t forget to visit some of the Magnificent castles the district has to offer while you are there. So you will have plenty to do be it shooting or hitting the tourist trail for those in the support crew/non shooting partners.  To book a day or a week of shooting just visit their web site at www.susc-muellenborn.de or their Facebook page at  http://www.facebook.com/susc.muellenborn and book your shoot time.

Round Three of the Pro series is at Fort Van Lier Belgium on the 18^th and 19^th of August this will be a nail biter as this year’s line-up looks like being even stronger than last years. This is another one of those shoots I have on my to do list after watching last year’s Tournament with extreme shots from the bottom of pits shooting into the sun at over 40 degrees then to a target that is shot from the bright light through a dark stone tunnel to a brightly lit target at the other end. For this course the Range Master truly has designed a layout that has tested the best archers the world has to offer.

 

 

 

The Pro rankings as of the start of 2012 are as follows:

GENTS RANKINGS

1	Dave Cousins	9000.00 EURO
2	Liam Grimwood	3929.78 EURO
3	Chris White	3480.87 EURO

LADIES RANKINGS

1	Ivana Buden	3343.00 EURO
2	Gladys Willems	2014.50 EURO
3	Camilla Soemod	857.50 EURO

Not enough personal action for you?

Then why not go for a quick trip to Argentina and join us for the 2012 IFAA World Field Archery Championships (WFAC) at Miramar Argentina from the 28^th of October to the 3^rd of November, this is a competition everyone is eligible to enter you just have to enter and pay your fees no qualifying scores for IFAA Competitions. Now if you don’t know what to expect this is how it goes, try to get there a day or so earlier to settle in and say hi to old friends, register and do a little practice. Then day one is the opening ceremony followed by drinks and something to eat, knowing the Argentinians it will be a real treat with floor shows and lots to remember just don’t drink too much as tomorrow is the shooting.

Day 1 of the competition begins with 28 marked distance Field or Hunter targets out to 80 Yards maximum then the same for the second day only this time if you shot field on day 1 you will shoot hunter on day 2 or visa versa. Then day 3 will be 28 marked distance animal targets maximum 60 Yards this will be an easy day with an early finish.

 

Days 4 and 5 will be Hunter and Field Targets again every evening you should check your scores and your next day’s group if it has been made up, do this as you will be peer grouped this means you will be shooting with the archers closest to your score in your style of archery for the next day and each day after that.

Day 6 will be the Presentations and Banquet this is a lavish affair with all the trimmings of a magnificent 3 course meal accompanied by the best of local wines and entertainment that is Uniquely Argentinian.

The venue for the shoot is at Miramar this beautiful area of coastal dune lands and lightly timbered forests 498klm 5 hours drive south of Buenos Aires. Many members of the Argentinian Archery association will be working on the ranges starting from February through to the2012 WFAC.

Friends of ours Roberto Flores and his family among many others will be staying at Miramar for February devoting their annual work holidays to creating a world class set of field archery ranges just for you to shoot on.
After a day shooting by the sea at Miramar you will find all the city life just 40 Klm away at mar del plata the second largest city of the Buenos Aires Province and largest beachside resort in Argentina.

If you can make this trip into a tour of Argentina, there is just so much to see. After the World Indoor in 2009 we travel down through Patagonia to El Calafate nestled on the banks of Lake Argentino in the Los Glaciares National Park. Then back through Argentina to one of the great natural wonders of the world, the Iguaçu Falls. This was a trip we will remember always as we will also keep close the friends we have made in Argentina.

Now for a quick look further into the future!

The 2013 IFAA World Bowhunter Championships at Die Oog South Africa this will be a Bowhunter Championships not to be missed. This will not be a gentle course set in your suburban parklands this is the country of big game hunts and safari, the Die Oog is the African Bush with big game in it natural environment. I can assure you the competition will be run properly and you will be looked after very well by the members of the SANIFAA- South African Archery.

During the 2011 IFAA World Indoor in south Africa there was nothing that did not go to plan and we were treated to a wonderful tournament from start to finish. I can assure you the 2013 WBHC will be the same from the opening ceremony to the closing Banquet. You will be able to book hunting trips be it with gun, bow or camera for after the shoot, I will have more information on this and other news on my site www.archeryfix and in future articles as we get closer to the shoot. So keep the 7^th of June to the 15^th June 2013 clear for the trip of a lifetime.

Now a little closer to home!

As many would know my site Archeryfix has been a place to go for basic tuning and shooting tips, it was set up a few years ago to assist my students around the world to excel in this wonderful sport. Well it has just had a makeover, in fact much of it is totally changed it is now a free to use and to submit archery news, History,  Tournament dates and info website. There is a Tournament gallery section where you can post a photo of your latest shoot, a Bowhunters Gallery where you can post a photo of that big buck, Featured articles pages where you can submit a story about a hunt or competition along with photos or just some information that will help your fellow archers.

The news pages and scrolling headlines are for you and your associations to send in items of archery related news. This site has been setup so I can give a little back to the sport that has given so much to me and my family and friends. You will notice advertising banners on the site, these are so the site can eventually be self-supporting to this end those businesses that support Archeryfix will be able to also post information about their services and products from time to time.

So please take the time to visit www.archeryfix.com for your Archery Fix.

Last and far from least I would like to thank our sponsors who help me to assist others in this wonderful sport, Vortex Optics, Ontarget2 Software for archers, Shibuya sights, Tru Ball releases, Trophy Taker rests, Twister Bowstrings, The US and International Archer Archery and Action magazine for publishing my ramblings.

Peter Bourke

Archery Consultant for www.archeryfix.com

 

 

 

My First Hunting Trip

By Jack Farnham

 

Hi I’m Jack Farnham aged 10 years old and live in Bundaberg Queensland, Australia. My Dad told me that he would take me hunting in the September school holidays (2011) with my friend Blake and his dad who we shoot field archery with at our local archery club. I was so excited that I would be going on my first hunt and the holidays couldn’t come faster enough.

Day 1 arrived and we were off to Bonus Downs Property south of Mitchell, Queensland. It took about 9 hours to get there but I was so excited when we arrived. We put our stuff into the shearing shed quarters  and got dressed to go down to the nearby dam to have a look around before it got dark. We saw some pigs coming in but I guess they saw us and took off.

The next morning we were up early and away to find some goats in a nearby paddock. Dad and I went together in one direction and Blake went with his dad in another. It wasn’t long when we came across some goats.  We started the stalk with me in front and my dad behind with the video camera. I came within 16 meters of a young Billy and let go my first arrow, hitting it in the back quarter. It ran off and laid down under some trees where I stalked up to about 10 meters and let go my second arrow, a perfect heart shot, he wasn’t going nowhere. I was so excited and thrilled- this was my first kill. Dad was just as excited as me and congratulated me on my first goat kill.

 

 

I was shooting Barebow with my Mission Menace set at 30lbs and using ST Epic Jnr Carbon Arrows tipped with Wasp 4 Blade Broad heads.

Not long after that, Dad also shot a young Billy.

After taking some photos we headed on back to the homestead as it was very hot. Late in the afternoon we went back to the dam to try and get a pig but no luck getting one.

The next day as it was so hot we decided to go down to the dam to see what was around, but there was only nannies and kids coming in for a drink but no pigs which I was after. We all ended up with one goat each and it was the best couple of days hunting with my Dad. I can’t wait until this year’s hunt.

A taste of Argentina

Shooting the worlds in Buenos Aries

Written for Magazine publications in 2009 by Peter Bourke

Since 2007 in Mannheim Germany when Steve Kendrick Vice President of the International Field Archery Association invited all archers to attend the next world Indoor Archery Championships in Buenos Aries Argentina, that name has reverberated through our thoughts, Buenos Aries.
We had seen documentaries and news items concerning Argentina many times through the years but absorbing little in the process now it was time to do some research as come hell or high water we intended shooting in the 2009 WIAC. First up travel times from home 20 hours going and 22 hours returning (actually the return trip blew out to 47 hours) add in a couple of days for jetlag and sight seeing 4 days for the competition and we came up with 8 days in total (this blew out to 22 days of excitement).

As soon as we could we pre registered with the AATA (“Asociación Argentina de Tiradores con Arco”) and were put in contact Pablo Marbec (WIAC 2009 Secretary) who handled our nominations and kept us informed during the lead up to the WIAC. The AATA arranged for Karina Bluhm Travel consultant for E-TS Travel Solutions to assist us in planning our trip. Karina worked wonders for us on our travel plans saving us thousands and getting us to places we had never dreamt of going and will never forget. If this article sounds like a travel brochure, that is my intention as I hope to see many of you at the 2012 World Field Archery Championships to be held in Argentina. When we finished the shoot the venue for the 2012 WFAC had not been selected but from what we have seen of this country and its people it will be a very challenging Field shoot indeed and run very professionally.

A couple of days before the shoot the English National team arrived at our hotel the Savoy, all of whom Heather and I new from previous World shoots, so the lead up to the WIAC included a little more local wine and excitement than should be considered optimal for the lead up to a major comp.
The first day of the WIAC was registration official practice and the opening ceremony, as with all Major international competitions the first day is a very stressful one for all concerned with the organizational side, everything was handled well by the Argentinean officials allowing the competitors to get on with what they were there for (to shoot). With archery being the great social sport that it is this is also the time we get to meet up with old friends and adversaries from around the world to swap info and catch up on news of other events and archers. This shoot was no exception with Teco Phillips from the US, Mike and Linda Lainchbury from New Zealand to name just a few we have spent time with during previous International competitions.
The opening ceremony was held in true Argentinean style with local wines and plenty of food, to the beat of the tango, this theme carried on through the night with spectacular exhibitions of Tango dancing that left the audience in rapture. The late nights of Buenos Aries took there toll on many of us as it is normal to have your evening meal after 10Pm in Argentina, for us older folk who were used to being in bed by that time it was difficult to get used to.
Day one of competition brings home all the excitement and anticipation built up through the last few months of preparation. The lighting in the venue was quite good with very little difference between individual targets so the changing of shoot groups and targets from day to day had very little effect on our shooting. Each round took an exceptionally long time to get through up to 5 hours per round, as a shooter I found it a bit sapping on the second day when the temp in the hall climbed through the afternoon. Day two in my group delivered near disaster for my adversary Steve Kendrick, it started with me clumsily kicking Steve’s bow stabiliser after the last arrow his bow fell but was saved from hitting the ground hard, this turned out to be a lucky incident as during his close examination of the bow he discovered that his bottom cable was all but off, hanging by just 2 strands. As is normal panic set in with 60 arrows to go this would never last the shoot and no time to build a cable and tune the bow. With a bit of international assistance all was not lost as an Argentinean archer came up with a portable bow press and Steve used me as a portable work bench (at least I now know that I am useful for something) we were able to get his bow shooting on the spot again for day three.

Day three brought milder temperatures, but no less anxiety as many archers had never competed at this level before and found it very exhausting to say the least. I have had people ask me how it could be exhausting just shooting 60 arrows in 5 hours, well I don’t really know but it is none the less. It must be a culmination of all the training, planning and hard work that it takes to just get to these competitions because it never changes that by the last day you can see it in the faces of the competitors. However when that last arrow finds its mark all that changes the venue is full of laughter and chatter, some archers giggling with exhilaration from a hard fought win others just glad that all that mental and physical work is over. For me it was a case of exhilaration, relief and straight out excitement as this is the first World Championships I have won, to work so long and hard toward something and then to finally achieve your goals mere words can not describe how I felt. My excitement was two fold as my dear wife Heather had also won Gold, so for a Husband and wife team to both become World Champions at the same championships the chances were slim indeed and well worth celebrating. As it happened there was a second couple from down under claiming gold with Mike and Linda Lainchbury from New Zealand also becoming World Champions in their divisions.
The Unlimited division shoot off was very exciting with our friend Linda Lainchbury taking out the Female Unlimited and Rodriguez Fernando taking out the Male Freestyle Unlimited.

At this point I would like to thank our sponsors as these wins were made possible not only through our own hard work but through the technology of our equipment. Our bows are designed and made by Dave Barnsdale of Barnsdale Archery, Heathers shoots a Classic X at 42” axle to axle with Tristar wheels and I shoot an Ultimate X 42” ATA with Wedel Cams, when Dave says they are more forgiving than your Mama he is not joking. Our sights are by Shibuya and they are just magic, so smooth and accurate when combined with Ontarget2 software for archers sight tapes you just cant go wrong. Heather uses a Trophy Taker drop away rest and I use the Trophy Taker one hole Spring Steel Blade and Tru Ball ST4 release, our optics are by Vortex Optics simply the best you can buy, and when you are in close competition you need the best. One new piece of kit we both use is compression ware by 2XU supplied by Rhys Aizlewood of Xme-Archery these make all the difference when it comes to Reducing fatigue levels and speeding up recovery after shot recovery.

With the hard work done then comes the Banquet and medal ceremony plus a little bit of partying, now keep in mid that we are in Argentina where people like to really celebrate. The banquet venue was a short stroll through the sports fields and marinas; this gave us a breath of fresh air to set us up for the couple of hours at the banquet before a well earned sleep for us old timers at least that was our plan based on previous WIAC banquets. Now don’t forget this is Buenos Aries we arrive at 8.30Pm then feasted and partied through the night with the presentations flowing through till 3.30Am the next morning, yes it was a long time but this is how it is done in this great southern land. With three table loads of medals to be presented for the Argentinean Nationals, South American Championships and the World Indoor Championships the entire proceedings went as smooth as clockwork with local wines, beautiful food and excellent entertainment by a local singer it truly was a night to remember and the culmination of a World Indoor Championships to live in our memories forever.
For Heather and me this was just the start of our Argentinean journey, Karina Bluhm had designed a tour to suit our budget and time perfectly with our first stop being El Calafate a small town in southern Patagonia nearly at the end of the earth. You quickly forget about the freezing winds swept up from the Antarctic as you cruse Lake Argentino among massive ice bergs on the approaches to some of the largest Glaciers on earth flowing between towering peaks of the magnificent Andes Mountains. We then headed north to Bariloche still in the Andes with beautiful lakes and scenic drives through ancient forests. Our last point of call was Argentina’s northern boarder with Brazil for the world famous Iguazu Falls, going from minus 7 degrees C (20F)at El Calafate to 42C (42F) at the falls was to say the least a shock to our systems but well worth doing. From the thundering roar that vibrates through your body to the thousands of swifts diving through the cataracts it is a spectacle not to be missed, and one to be remembered for a lifetime.
From the Australian team a big Mucho Gracious to all our new friends in South America.
So start planning now for the IFAA 2012 World Field Archery Championships in Argentina as it will be a competition not to be missed. In the next few weeks I hope to have more info for you concerning the proposed locations for 2012 so till then shoot well and enjoy all this wonderful sport has to offer.

Peter Bourke
Principal Coach for www.archeryfix.com

2011 WORLD INDOOR ARCHERY CHAMPIONSHIPS
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA
3 – 7 OCTOBER 2011
Leonie Oosthuizen
After SASCOC approval was received for the award of Protea Colours to the selected team, SANIFAA again played host to a glamorous awards ceremony on the 30th September at the Waterkloof Golf Club in Pretoria. 34 Guests attended the gala evening and watched the 24 archers receiving their Protea colours of which 14 were new caps.
Stefan van der Linde, SANIFAA President again reminded all the Archers of the great honour associated with the recognition and the awarding of National Protea Colours.  
He also urged each team member to wear it with pride and honour and to make South Africa, Archery South Africa and SANIFAA proud. He also mentioned that the team would have home ground advantage at this event and also that since the inception of the World Indoor Archery Championships (WIAC) 40 years ago, it would be the first time that this event would be hosted on the African continent. The awards ceremony drew to a close with the handover of the Team battledress and the tracksuits.
With the tournament only 3 days away we were all very nervous and at the same time very excited to meet all the top competing archers from all the international countries and all were looking forward in making new archery friends.
Opening Ceremony – Monday, 3rd October 2011
On Monday morning last of the bow inspections were done and the WIAC Registration team were still finalizing registrations for all the International competitors that were arriving from the OR Tambo International Airport via shuttles. They arrived with luggage and bows in tow.
All the competitors had to take a deep breath as they walked into the Rembrandt Hall were the range was set up for 3 days of competitive shooting. All preparations for the Opening ceremony were in full swing and you could feel the excitement of all the archers in the air. At noon all the delegates from the IFAA member countries gathered in the VIP Room for a briefing on all the procedures during the WIAC.  
All the South African Participants, International Participants and the South African Protea Team assembled on the grass area outside the UP Indoor Sports Centre with their country flags to get ready for the March of Nations.

Steven Kendrick, IFAA Vice President, introduced all the participating countries as they entered the Rembrandt Hall. What a sight! And the excitement of all archers was definitely felt in the hall. Stefan Van Der Linde, SANIFAA President, welcomed all the participants and pointed out what privilege it was for SANIFAA to be given the opportunity to host this World event and also thanked the National Lottery Board for their contribution in hosting of the WIAC 2011. IFAA President Loet Smith also welcomed all archers and made particular note of the Family of Archers culture that has been growing from strength to strength. After all the welcoming speeches the Vice President of the IFAA announced the 2011 World Indoor Archery Championships open.
 

Tuesday, 4th / Wednesday 5th October 2011: Session 1 to Session 4
The Warm Up range (Hall 3) opened at 07:00 and the archers made use of the time allowed on the practice range before the first session started at 08:00. With only 20 archers that could be accommodated in the Warm Up Range time and space was limited but everyone could get a few arrows into the butts.
Tuesday, 4th / Wednesday 5th October 2011 SESSION 1 08:00 to 10:00 was opened by Steve Kendrick IFAA Vice President and all rules and regulations were given to archers. Session 1 was a mixture of AMFU, AFFU, AMBU, AFBU shooting styles. What a sight! 70 archers on the line at each session, a total of 260 participants in total.

 
Each Session started off with 2 Practice rounds and after new targets was put onto the butts the scoring arrows would be counted. Although we encountered a problem on the line between a Team Member from Hungary and a South African participant, we had to deal with a bow equipment query and a serious language barrier but it was quickly resolved by the WIAC Range Captain and the session ran smoothly. Needless to say both participants walked away after the 3 days and became very good friends.

Tuesday, 4th / Wednesday 5th October 2011 SESSION 2 10:00-12:00 catered for the different styles that included AMBU, PMFU, VMBU, AMBH(R),JFFS(R), JMFU shooting styles, after this specific session I was approached by a team member from Australia that was out of breath – his words were “your time given between arrow ends are too fast” I cannot get my heart rate down before I start my next end”. I was concerned about the comment and decided to discuss this point at our de-briefing session later the evening with the WIAC Tournament Team. At the de-briefing session we then decided to put a few more seconds onto the clock and give the archers more time to get back onto the shooting line. After that compliments all round!
 
Tuesday, 4th / Wednesday 5th October 2011 SESSION 3 12:00-14:00 this was the session that I really enjoyed we had the AFHB, AMHB,AFLB, AMLB shooting styles and these guys really had fun! Going back to basics and wow the scores that were shot was incredible!

 
Tuesday, 4th / Wednesday 5th October 2011 SESSION 4 14:00 -16:00
The greatest session of the WIAC 2011, this session had all the cubs on the shooting line. Just to see all the little ones in action and also their determination was an incredible sight. We had enough officials and cub masters on the line to ensure safety at all times for the cubs. There were a total of 59 cubs on the line. The Cub masters had their hands full to get the emotions down with some of the kids but as soon as they started we had a great session.

SANIFAA’s youth development has certainly grown from strength to strength the last year and it is great to see that Archery is very much a growing sport with the young kids.
 
Last Shooting Day 6th October 2011 – Shoot outs
Archers were shooting great scores but only a few went through to the shoot outs on the 6th October 2011. Archers that went thought to the shoot outs had a full score of 300 for every shooting day. The shoot of started at 17:00 0n Thursday afternoon and was kicked off by the Cubs. We had 4 cubs that shot a total of 900 for the 3 days.
WIAC 2011 Shoot out format: 1x end Warm up consisting of 5 arrows. After that 3 ends of 5 arrows each, the officials only counted the X count. If there were still a tie after these arrows were shot we would go into a 1 arrow sudden death shoot out.

 

Closing Ceremony – Friday, 7th October 2011
The Honourable Deputy Minister Gert C. Oosthuizen, MP arrived at the UP Sports Centre and after all archers and guests were welcomed the starter was served. After all the welcome speeches were concluded we started with the medal ceremony. What a great closing to a great and very successful archery tournament. Thank you to the National Lottery Board for the financial assistance.
Before the IFAA Vice President announced the WIAC 2011 closed the IFAA Flag was given over to the Argentinean team for the hosting of the 2012 World Field Archery Championships.

Special thanks to National Lottery for their funding and support.

 
Speech by The Honourable Deputy Minister Gert C. Oosthuizen, MP

WORLD INDOOR ARCHERY CHAMPIONSHIPS
MEDAL AWARDS CEREMONY
REMBRANDT HALL,
UP INDOOR SPORTS CENTRE
7 OCTOBER 2011
Deputy Minister G.C. Oosthuizen, MP

Programme Director, Mr. Steve Kendrick
President of SANIFAA, Mr. Stefan van der Linde
President of IFAA, Mr. Loet Smit
Second Vice President of SASCOC, Mr. Les Williams
Archers
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Thank you for the invitation to this medal awards ceremony of the 2011 World Indoor Archery Championships. It is my pleasure to address you this afternoon. To our international archers, coaches, support staff and dignitaries, welcome to our shores and the Capital City of our beloved country, South Africa. We trust that you have enjoyed the festival of archery as well as tours and visits to the varied wonders we have to offer. I trust that you have enjoyed our delectable South African cuisine. For those of you who have made your first visit to South Africa, I am certain you are overwhelmed by what you have seen and experienced here. South Africans are very friendly and we are famous for our warm hospitality. We trust that you will feel the spirit of Ubuntu that we share with all our guests.
We are delighted that SANIFAA was approached by the International Field Archery Association to host the 2011 World Indoor Archery Championships in South Africa. This is the first time in the history of the IFAA and SANIFAA that a World Indoor Archery Championship is being hosted on the African Continent and in South Africa.Thank you for entrusting us with the opportunity to host this event, allowing us to showcase South Africa, yet again. I have learnt that the World Indoor Archery Championships has been held every two years and the last one was hosted by Argentina.
 
BACKGROUND TO WORLD INDOOR ARCHERY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Ladies and gentlemen, for the benefit of those who may not know, allow me to touch briefly on the background to this championship. There are 260 participants from 14 different IFAA member countries. The Countries participating are: South Africa, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Namibia, Scotland, Switzerland, and the United States of America.
There are 44 different competing shooting styles. South Africa is represented by 212 archers and competes in 33 different shooting styles. The youngest participating archer is 10 years old and the oldest is 70 years. Now isn’t that remarkable. It really demonstrates the value of archery as a lifetime sport activity.
SANIFAA SUCCESSES
In 2010 SANIFAA sent a team of 36 archers to Germany to compete in the 2010 World Field Archery Championships. I am told that we won 13 Gold Medals, 6 Silver Medals, and 5 Bronze Medals, with a total Medal count of 24. We achieved 7 New World Champions, and 2 Team Style World Champions. Thirty six South African archers participated in the 2010 World Filed Archery Championships, of which 24 were Protea Team archers and 12 SANIFAA Team archers.
A touring contingent of 40 South Africans made this group the largest group attending an international field event. Koos de Wet in the AMFU style obtained the highest total tournament score. DanelleWentzel set 2 NEW World Records in the Field and Hunter round. Dimitri Amado also set 2 NEW World Records in the Field and Hunter round. In the AMBU style South Africa were ranked in the top 10 archers of the world.
Ladies and gentlemen, in 2011 SANIFAA sent a team of 14 archers to Australia to compete in the 2011 World Bow Hunter Championships. South Africa competed in 6 shooting styles and won 3 Gold Medals, 4 Silver Medals, and 2 Bronze Medals, with a total Medal count of 9. In the AMBU and AMFU style division South Africa were again ranked in the top 10 3D archers of the world. 14 South African archers participated in the 2011 World Bow Hunter Championships of which 11 were Protea Team archers and 3 SANIFAA team archers.
 
CONCLUSION
Ladies and gentlemen, SANIFAA clearly has a good overall development plan. I am especially happy that it is also aligned to, and addresses Sport and Recreation South Africa’s strategic priorities. We remain steadfast in our vision of “an active and winning nation” and to achieve this, our focus remains on increasing the levels of sport and recreation participation as well as achieving success at an international level. No doubt, you will notice the fit between our priorities.
We all believe if you do not have healthy active participation at grass roots level, archery will not be a sustainable sport in years to come. In the past three decades SANIFAA have moved from a handful of archers to a strong pool of over two hundred competitive archers. This is good evidence of increasing the number of participants.
Ladies and gentlemen, whilst Government continues to invest in accessible community infrastructure, the non governmental institutions, particularly the Federations and educational institutions need to be involved and partner with government to ensure that there are sustainable sport development programs. SRSA would in this financial year be engaging the Municipalities and Federations and other key stakeholders to work out appropriate responses and solutions to challenges in the provision and management of sport and recreation infrastructure for all our people.
On behalf of the Ministry of Sport and Recreation, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all participants in this championship. To those of you who will be receiving medals, our heartiest congratulations and best wishes. Let us give them a round of applause. It is always a very proud moment for any country when its national team lifts their World Cup. It unites the nation and builds social cohesion like no other human activity can. I wish this championship will also grow in magnitude like the Rugby World Cup one day.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this presents just a brief insight to the possible contribution of this event and the sport and recreation sector to our National imperatives. The impact that it can have on higher-level outcomes, such as sport tourism, as well as inclusivity and representivity in our teams at all levels as well as the spin-offs thereof for social cohesion and national pride remains endless.
I thank you for your keen attention!

The world family of Archers

As written for Magazine publication  December 2011

The Archers of the IFAA are indeed becoming closer with every event in fact every World IFAA Championships is becoming more like a family reunion as archers from around the world meet and renew old friendships.

The 2011 IFAA World Indoor Championships in Pretoria have been another wonderful example of The World Family of Archers coming together again. Heather (my wife) and I arrived knowing that we would meet friends from previous competitions but were surprised at just how many. With the South American archers taking to the IFAA format with great enthusiasm Argentina and Brazil have shown their commitment by sending good size teams to South Africa. Most of these archers we had met at the 2009 World Indoor in Buenos Aires and now know to be IFAA family members as well as firm friends. India has also embraced the IFAA by sending a strong contingent of young archers for their first foray into the WIAC with considerable success, demonstrating the growth and popularity of archery in India.

The Pretoria World Indoor was truly spectacular from start to finish; the venue was excellent to shoot in with everything you could hope for at a world Championships. The South African organisers Leonie Oosthuizen (SANIFAA Vice President), Marietjie Fryer (general Secretary) along with Petrus van Breda (entering the scores) and their band of Volunteers who had thought of everything we could possibly require making it a wonderful shoot. The first couple of registration days gave all competitors plenty of time to renew old friendships and start many new ones. The separate practice range worked well and gave plenty of time and space for that final adjustment or to just check over gear and form after a long flight to South Africa.

Another aspect of a good shoot are the target buts these can destroy a competitors scores not to mention an archers arm, for this shoot we had targets that caught the arrows and didn’t wreck your shoulder pulling them out thanks to Juan Spies and his team of workers from Allycat industries. Also in the equipment line we had at least three local bow shops on site not just to sell but to do all those emergency repairs without gouging you on prices. I was just one of those to be helped when after our bow case arrived 2 days late I found that my stabilizer was smashed, within minutes of Petrus making a call had a new X10 on the way, this is just one example of how well we were looked after.

A few things looked a little different to past World Championships one being the flags, bunting and posters leading into the hall and decorating the venue. Most archers have seen the IFAA logo before but this time it was joined by the World Family of Archers logo this also is not new to many but adorning this was a simple statement reading Patronage by TAFISA. This in itself will not seem earth shattering to many but it marks a new direction for the IFAA as we are now officially recognised by a world sport governing body through TAFISA patronage. TAFISA “The Association for International Sport for All” as the name implies TAFISA supports, promotes and gives patronage to national and International sport, with their patronage the IFAA and the increased number of IFAA member nations, we are now really making it onto the world stage.

TAFISA conduct a world games under their name, the next being the 5th TAFISA World Sport for All Games to be held from the 5 to 11 July 2012 in Siauliai, Lithuania. Now can’t you just see yourself competing in an IFAA sanctioned competition at the TANISA World Games in Lithuania?

For the start of the Championships we were treated to weather that could only be described as magnificent just adding to the wonderful feel of this event. For the opening ceremony all national teams marched behind their flag bearer into the University of Pretoria Indoor Sports centre (the Rembrandt Hall). After a short welcome by Loet Smit (president IFAA), Steve Kendrick (vice President IFAA) and Stefan van der Linde ( President SANIFAA) we were all invited to take part in the informal finger food lunch featuring many uniquely South African delicacies. When combined with a very generous supply of exquisite South African wines we all had the feeling that this competition was about to become a very memorable experience for all involved.

After you have competed in a few World Championships as we have, the competitions are all very similar in the makeup of competitors, or so I thought as South Africa still had some surprises up their sleeve as SANIFAA have changed the appearance of the WIAC yet again. YOUTH yes young archers, SINIFAA have managed to bring many cubs and junior archers into the game and what’s more many of these young archers are displaying excellent skills and their dedication to archery shows through in the score sheet for the 2011 WIAC. With SANIFAA’s ongoing commitment to supporting their next generation of archers I am sure South Africa has a long and achievement rich future in our wonderful sport.

Day one of competition delivered the same mix of emotions for the archers as normal, from exhilaration to tears but then this is sport and as such it brings with it all the emotions we humans are capable of. The planning and hard work of the organisers was paying off with no real problems as all went off like clockwork and this pretty much sums up the way the entire competition flowed through to the closing ceremony. Day two was on us and as those who have shot this format will attest by this time everyone has settled into their routine with some classes starting to show a leading score or two however this time a significant number of archers looked like making it through to the shoot off at the end of day three, this was also evident in the youth classes.

Day three carried on into the night as the shoot off was by far the largest I have seen with competitors from all age divisions shooting off to become the new 2011 IFAA World Champion in their respective divisions. I won’t go into the scores here but suffice to say that this was a shoot off to remember. Day three is not only about the shoot off,  it brings to a conclusion all the  training and build-up that has led to these championships for some it has bought with it disappointment for a select few the elation of becoming the new IFAA World Champion in their division.

Day four brings with it the medal ceremony and Banquet again the South African’s have set the bar to a high level with a magnificent afternoon, SANIFAA supported by the South African Lottery delivered a sumptuous  Banquet as you can see from the photos.

 As we entered the Rembrandt hall we were greeted with an enamel mug containing Amarula a uniquely South African spirit that gave all who partook a warm glow, especially those who tried more than one. The hall was unrecognisable due to the drapes and African themed murals, the feeling was euphoric with all present being friends or might I say it part of The World Family of Archers.

Another competition to mark on your calendar will be the  2013 World Bowhunter Championships to be held in South Africa at the Die Oog,’ Mineral Resort just a short drive from Johannesburg, set in the magnificent South African Bush with an abundance of wildlife. But more about that in my next article along with some photos when I will also be giving you a tourist’s eye view of the Famous Mullenborn field archery ranges, the site of the European Professional Archery competition in Germany.

Last and far from least I would like to thank my sponsors who help me to assist others in this wonderful sport, Vortex Optics, Ontarget2 Software for archers, Shibuya sights, Tru Ball releases, Trophy Taker rests, Twister Bowstrings and the US and International archer magazine for publishing my ramblings.

Peter Bourke

Archery Consultant for www.archeryfix.com