AIMING FOR SUCCESS: El-sje Smith, left, and Jasmin Vosloo are two of four Kowie Archery Club members who have been selected to the Eastern Cape team to participate in the archery national tournament in Polokwane next month. Picture: MARK CARRELS
Four Port Alfred archers have made their club, Kowie Archery Club, proud by being selected to the Eastern Cape team to participate in a national tournament to be held early next month in Polokwane.
The national event, scheduled for October 6 to 10, will showcase the talents of some of the top junior and senior archers from throughout the country.
The club quartet going to nationals – Jasmin Vosloo (junior girls), Thinus Hamman, (senior boys) El-sje Smith (senior) and M C Coetzee (senior) – however, are having to organise fundraisers with the help of coaches, parents and administrators to cover travel, accommodation and entry fee costs.
A coffee station fund-raising initiative kicked off outside the girl guides hall next to the Civic Centre on Saturday where early morning walkers, joggers or any support will be welcome to assist the talented archers.
Another fund-raiser was launched at the Round Table clubhouse on Wednesday where parents, archers and club members came together to participate in games, buy coffee and refreshments and to indulge in informal archery competition.
Earlier that afternoon, the four archers together with other club archers, got going with the serious business of putting in some practice at the PA High School archery range.
Coach John Tweedie and Smith who has gained selection to nationals for the first time, were busy putting junior boys and girls through their paces.
Smith has only been involved in archery for 18-months and has already made great strides in the sport. The passionate archer who lost her daughter, Ela’na, almost a year ago, said she would be participating in her daughter’s memory.
“My daughter started archery in Grade 4 and she loved it … she got hurt and couldn’t do sport for a year, so archery was all that she had. I was on the admin side and I thought let me try it out … she (Ela’na) did make nationals before the tragedy last year,” said Smith.
“So I’m doing this for her in her memory … it’s good motivation to get the mind straight. There are 11 steps you have to follow before you shoot your target and you need lots of discipline.
“I didn’t know that I could do this, I just wanted to spend time with my daughter. However, my skills have surprised me. I am nervous going to nationals but also excited. I am doing it to keep my daughter’s memory alive,” she added.
Jasmin Vosloo, 13, of Kowie Foundation School says she was so excited to hear about her selection that she cried.
“I only started archery last year December. I used to watch my friend and it seemed really interesting to me. She thought I’d be good at it. I thought I would give it a try and I stuck to it, and it was really fun and I met a lot of people.”
“You have to have self-discipline which for some is really hard, and also you have to encourage yourself every day to work harder and to do better. It’s helping me in school too. I am focusing more in class.”
Hamman, 14 says he had been interested in surfing but when his coach moved to another province he gave archery his best shot. Though he made the nationals last year he still was excited.
“I’m very excited and I know nationals is always fun; last year it was absolutely great, so I’m excited again for this year.”
This article was first published in Talk of the Town, September 4, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
