• Sports

Unfolding the world of archery

Michelline Nawatises



Archery is an activity where you shoot an arrow from a bow at an inanimate target. The National Archery in the Schools Programme (NASP) has been in existence in Namibia since 2011, when it started as the development programme of the Archery Association of Namibia.

The Namibian national team took silver in the Western Cape at a tournament that took place in Paarl between teams from Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

The tournament took place from 1 to 4 May this year. The archery teams from NASP Namibia (NAM) fared very well in both the individual and team divisions at the NASP® Africa Tournament.

Since May this year NASP was seen as an equal archery discipline for target and field archery. Therefore, the Top 16 archers who compete at the NASP® Africa Tournament 2020 in Swakopmund will be able to apply for national colours. The archers have been working very hard to be able to achieve this.



Target archery

Target archery is the type of archery practiced at the Olympics, and is the version most beginners learn first. Archers shoot a set number of arrows at targets set at specified distances on a flat surface. It can take place either indoors or outdoors.

Field archery

A field archery course is set up over woodland and rough terrain. Archers shoot a specified number of arrows at different targets, in sequence. Archers might have to shoot uphill or downhill, and the targets could be different sizes and at different distances, so anyone taking part has to really think about what they are doing. Field archery is a great way of keeping fit and enjoying the outdoors.



The road to becoming part of the national team

The following criteria apply to determine the NASP® NAM Rankings, which will be used to select the NASP® NAM team, which will be representing Namibia at international events.

These points will be the weighted average scores for a minimum of three major tournaments within the last six months. These major tournaments will consist of any competition organised by any NASP® NAM affiliated organisation, according to article 9 of the NASP constitution and any of the competitions organised by NASP® NAM, and any NASP® Star-rated tournament worldwide.

Where more than one NASP® bull’s-eye session has been shot - only one score, the average of the top two bull’s eye scores shot on the day, will be taken - i.e. three tournaments (not three scores).

The most recent score (score three in the formula) cannot be older than three months. (If an archer did not partake in any NASP® competition, as set out above, in the last three months, score three in the formula will have no value (0).

Score two and score one cannot be older than six months. Score two will be the highest remaining score within the last six months, while score one will be the second highest remaining score within the last six months.

The weighted score formula below will be applied:

Weighted score = (S1x0, 2) + (S2x0, 3) + (S3x0, 5).

The fourth NASP NAM nationals will take place from 14 September 2019 at the Windhoek Gymnasium field.

The archers will be awarded for their efforts during the course of the nationals.

The top-performing boy and girl archer for the nationals 2019, the boy and girl national champion for 2019 and most improved male and female archer of the year 2019.

Three countries compete at the 2019 NASP All-Star Championship in Music City

The finest archers among countries participating in NASP were invited to compete at the 2019 NASP All-Star Championship at Music City Centre in Nashville, Tennessee.

The event was one of six events that took place from 26 to 27 July at the NASP Open Championship.

The participating countries included the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the British Virgin Isles, Australia, New Zealand, Mongolia, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. Canada and the US both shot the bull’s-eye and 3D formats. Namibia, while still in Africa, competed and submitted their results electronically.

The All-Star event was at full spectator capacity, as the best shooters from these countries gathered to showcase their archery talent.

Just like at the national tournament that advanced them to this championship, each archer used Genesis bows and Easton aluminium arrows, designed specifically for NASP to compete. The bows are free from sights, stabilisers and other aides, to keep the playing field identical and affordable to every archer, just like during the NASP archery classes they take at school. Archers shot the same format they shoot at every NASP tournament, with five practice arrows at both 10- and 15-metre shooting lines, followed by 15 scored arrows at those distances. Archers have two minutes to shoot their ‘end’ of five arrows and the highest possible score for an archer is 300, both for bull’s-eye and the NASP®/IBO 3D challenge. The scores from the bull’s-eye and 3D formats were added to produce final results and rank.

The overall male and female and team scores for the US, Canada and Namibia were as follows:

Overall male - USA & the All-Star Championship

Drew Crump, an eighth-grader from St Johns and St Athanasius Schools, Iowa. Score: 592/600.

Runner-up male - USA & the All-Star Championship

Henry Thompson, a 10th-grader from Anderson CO. HS, Lawrenceburg, KY. Score: 591/600.

Overall male - Canada

Isaac Potts, a ninth-grader from St Mary’s Catholic School, Alberta, Canada. Score: 570/600.

Overall male - Namibia

Willem Lottering a 12th-grader from Omaheke. Score: 574/600.

Overall female - USA & the All-Star Championship

Maria Heller, an 11th-grader from Centennial High School, IL. Score: 589/600.

Overall female - Canada

Charne Esterhuyse, a 12th-grader from Grenfell High School, Saskatchewan, Canada. Score: 573/600.

Overall female - Namibia

Leonise Human, a 12th-grader from Omaheke. Score: 547/600.

Overall team Scores (combined Scores from bull’s-eye and 3D)

First place - Team USA: 6 983/7 200.

Second place - Team Canada: 6 661/7 200.

Third place - Team Namibia: 6 633/7 200.



















Meet your national team

Below is personnel of the National Team

Manager: Dewaal Louw

Coach: Leon Human