Staff Reporter
Windhoek-St George’s Diocesan School hosted a NASP competition, which saw 108 archers from Walvis Bay, Keetmanshoop, Mariental, Stampriet, Gobabis, Tsumeb, Okahandja and Windhoek participate, and more than 24 senior archers also tried their luck at the event.
Early on Saturday, March 3, with the air still fresh after the sudden little cloudburst the previous day, 53 juniors (archers between the ages of 10 and 13) started the day with the first of three bullseye rounds.
The highest score would be 6 x 5 arrows in the gold with a result of 300. Archers used a standard Matthews Genesis bow and 5,1820 Easton aluminum arrows. After a practice round, archers shot three more rounds at 10m.
Two archers to a butt (the wooden framed, rubber-filled backdrop for the colourful circled 80cm target with a maximum score of 10 in the centre) then fill in their score on a scorecard. Archers then move their quivers to 15m and repeat the process.
The scorecard is scanned and the scores are available on the NASP NAM Ranking App for archers, parents and instructors to see the progress within half an hour after the round has been completed. The seniors (archers from ages 14 to 19) followed suit.
Archers then set up the range for the 3D animal round. Here, plastic animals are put at 10m, 11m, 12m, 13m, 14m and 15m to shoot at. After a practice round, archers shoot 5 arrows at each animal (at a different distance).
As the bows are shot without a sight, this is quite a skill. The scores are collected in the same way as for a bullseye round. Every archer shot one 3D round.
Quickly the range was cleared of animals, for the AAG (adult archery group). Here parents of archers use their children’s bows and arrows to shoot under the same circumstances. The high of releasing an arrow and it finding its target is important.
At the end of April, the Namibian All-Star Team (top 16 archers) and the Development Team (next 16 archers) will represent the country at the Africa All-Star Championships in South Africa.