Schools & sport

Archery: First arrows for 2024!

29 January 2024 · Platinum Bushvelder

Thabazimbi – In Thabazimbi, the first arrows of 2024 marked the beginning of the season at the Mpumalanga Field Archery Competition in Modimolle on 20 and 21 January 2024. Each round in this two-day event involves shooting four arrows at 28 different targets (four arrows per butt with 28 butts in total), with distances ranging from a close 5 yards to a challenging 80 yards.

The Thabazimbi Archery Club showcased its talent with members like HJ Swanepoel clinching gold in the AMFU (Adult Male Freestyle Unlimited) category and Gary Bauer also taking home gold in the VMFU (Veteran Male Freestyle Unlimited) category. Other notable performances included Jaco van Vuuren (silver in VMFU) and the promising juniors, Janco Pieterse and Anton Dreyer, who tackled the challenging Bushveld terrain under the hot sun. It was a day full of focus, camaraderie, and a shared love for the great outdoors!

Looking ahead, the Thabazimbi Archery Club is all set to host the next competition on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 February 2024. They extend a warm invitation to anyone interested in joining the excitement. It’s a crucial time for archers aiming to qualify for provincial, national, and the esteemed Protea colours before the national competition in March. And let’s not forget the IFAA World Field Championship in Brazil this August – a highlight for archery enthusiasts worldwide!

Thabazimbi boasts several members preparing for this international event, and we promise to keep you in the loop with all their achievements.

For those keen on trying their hand at archery or honing their skills, join the Thabazimbi Archery Club every Tuesday evening at 17:45 at the Koos Cronjé Shooting Range, starting 6 February 2024, for our official practice sessions. Here’s to a year of straight-shooting arrows and bullseyes!

Photo: More than just competitors – they’re like family. All vying for the prestigious Archery Protea colours. Back from left: PW Botes (Bethal), Freddie Rupping (Pretoria) and Lourens Nel (Mpumalanga). Middle from left: Henk Verhoef (Pretoria), and HJ Swanepoel (Thabazimbi). Front from left: Kobus Barnard (Bloemfontein), Jacques Strauss (Cape Town), and Theuns Erasmus (Phalaborwa).

Anton Dreyer (left) and Janco Pieterse, in High School Frikkie Meyer colours, during an archery shoot.

Discussing tactics or just catching up? From left: From left: Anton Arendse of Pretoria chats with Jaco van Vuuren, Chris Welgemoed, and Gary Bauer.

Dr. Gary Bauer, decked out in his Thabazimbi club uniform, accepts his first prize from Hendré Scheepers, the event organizer of 5X Archery Pretoria. Dr. Bauer competes in the Veteran Male Freestyle Unlimited (VMFU) category.