Thaba archers back from ARFAC 2023!
Thabazimbi - Archers from the southern point of Africa gathered in Windhoek, Namibia to attend the African Regional Field Archery Championships (ARFAC) 2023, which was held at Heja Game Lodge 20 km east of Windhoek from Friday 30 June to Sunday 2 July 2023.
Chilly mornings (-6°C), strong gusts of wind, and very hot midday temperatures, along with uneven and rocky terrain, made shooting conditions difficult. Archers’ skills were tested to the extreme. Groups of three or four archers participated in a 28- butt range.
Day one saw archers struggling to find their rhythm with gusts of wind challenging them. Day two saw a rise in temperature and better scoring for most archers. Day three (animal round) eased the tension between extremely competitive scores.
Chris Welgemoed (Thaba Boog en Hengel) clinched gold with his brilliant field and hunter rounds on day one and two. A very brave effort for this first-time protea cap. Well done Chris Welgemoed! Dr Gary Bauer shot a full score of 560/560 on the animal round first-time, for which he received his silver medal. HJ Swanepoel fought bravely for his silver in the Adult Male Freestyle unlimited category.
Mom-and-daughter team, Mathilda, and Maya Broekhuizen (Maya only 17 years old) took the lead from day one, showing the more experienced archers what new blood can do. Mathilda Broekhuizen had to fight from her last seeded position into the second-place silver medal.
Mardus Ras secured silver in his category, and Marné Furstenburg brought home gold in her class. Archery is an individual sport where individual skill and efforts are needed to persevere in the field outdoor competition. Great effort and good team sport make for an exhausting day of laughter and friendship.
Zambia, Namibia, and South Africa have forged good friendships throughout the years. This camaraderie in archery is what brings new archers to the game!
Namibia appreciates the effort from South Africa. This 40+ squad of archers and family members made a positive impact. We were greeted with warmth and hospitality, despite the cold, freezing temperatures.
Team South Africa brought home 15 individual gold medals, 8 individual silver medals, 4 individual bronze medals, 2 gold mixed-team medals, and 1 silver mixed-team medal. Thabazimbi played a major roll with Gert Snyman (President of SANIFAA field archery) assisting as team manager.
Thank you for the Thabazimbi parents and supporters fostering a sense of community!
Thabazimbi archers:
- Chris Welgemoed (gold)
- Dr Gary Bauer (silver)
- HJ Swanepoel (silver)
- Maya Broekhuizen (gold)
- Mathilda Broekhuizen (silver)
- Mardus Ras (silver)
- Marné Furstenburg (gold)
#FosteringASenseOfCommunity