#TuksArchery: Young Mamelodi archers can’t wait to hit targets regularly

Posted on September 12, 2018

There are a hush and a lot of expectation as Beyers de Klerk (Tuks), silver medallist at the World Masters Championships, set his bow’s sights on hitting a yellow balloon 70 metres away. 

When the arrow leaves the bow twelve pairs of eyes try and follow the flight of the shaft, but it is in vain. Everything happens to fast. Suddenly there is an explosion of yellow paint followed by spontaneous applause. 

The 12 aspirant’s archers of Mamelodi are in awe. It is the first time they get to for themselves how deadly accurate shooting with a bow can be. They can’t wait to test their skills with bow and arrow.

TuksArchery hosted its first development clinic on Saturday at the university’s shooting range. Twelve kids aged between 10 and 14 from Mamelodi were invited. 

Gerda Roux (TuksArchery) said the idea was to make the youngsters aware what archery is about. 

The Paralympic archer, Shaun Anderson; as well as Danelle Wentzel who is a regular in the South African team; Wian Roux who is going to represent South Africa at the Youth Olympic Games and De Klerk are just a few of the top Tuks archers who volunteered to help explain the finer intricacies of the sport.

The words patience, keeping calm, concentration is often heard as they explain the do’s and don’ts of trying to hit the target. 

Once the necessary coaching finishes, the serious stuff starts. Trying to hit the various targets. At first, the arrows fly all over the place, but as the young archers grew in confidence, their accuracy also improve.

The 11-year-old Jackson Maboya hits a pink balloon. It is at first as he can’t believe what he has just achieved. Then he starts smiling broadly.

“That was really awesome.”

Boikgantsho Mokoena (14) is all concentration as he focusses on the target. His arrow does not quite find the mark, but he is not disappointed. It just motivates him to try harder.

“I am really enjoying myself. I must hit the target. I know I can.”

Mokoena hopes that if he can master the art of archery that he will get to go places outside of Mamelodi.

His sister, Nkara (10), is a bit more successful. She hits a target once or twice.

A target resembling a baboon ends up with a few arrows sticking out of its nostril. Certainly fine marksmanship.

What excites Roux is that they have identified at least two girls who might have what it takes to become good archers.

“This project is still in its infancy. The serious work starts only now. We got to sit down and plan as to what we are going to do to help the two archers we have identified to come to training. We plan to try and hold more scouting clinics like this. If just one these archers we identify can represent South Africa at a World Championships, I think we would have succeeded in what we set out to achieve.”

 

- Author Wilhelm de Swardt

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