Most types of sport in South Africa – and there are more than 100 of them – are small and don’t get much mass media exposure. So they have to revert to guerilla tactics (known in the industry as ‘below-the-line’) to create awareness and get more people to participate and play. I thought Archery – one of the small sports I’m talking about – did a nice marketing job when they declared Saturday 4 December National Archery Day.

Archery used that day to co-ordinate activities country-wide that people who’ve never shot a bow and arrow can try it out, and perhaps end up taking up the sport as a hobby.

According to the SANAA Secretary, Mrs Barbara Manning, “Since our successes in the Commonwealth Games, there has been a renewed interest in the sport. The National Archery Day is an initiative designed to give those who have never shot a bow and arrow before an opportunity to do so. In so doing it aims to identify new talent and devel0p the sport further”.

“Clubs throughout the country will be participating in the day, where the general public are invited to try the sport under the guidance of experienced archers”, she added.

In KZN-Natal, members of the public would be able to interact with international medallists at Kings Park, while in the Western Cape, Olympic archers will be on hand to share their experiences at the Protea Archery Club in Retreat.

The Free State will be hosting the event at both the Old Greys Archery Club as well as at the Tempe Military Base Archery Club.

A highlight of the event will be the two-time Commonwealth Bronze Medallist and Archery World Cup champion, Seppie Cilliers demonstrating the sport at the Wonderboom Junxion Mall in Pretoria. Seppie currently holds the world record for shooting arrows at 30m.

Gauteng will be giving the public an opportunity at the Marks Park Club, where thousands of budding archers will have the opportunity of experiencing the fun side of archery, learn the skill involved, speak to coaches and learn about the development program called Feathers and Arrows.

The Eastern Cape will be highlighting outdoor archery with special emphasis on Para-archery.

As part of National Archery Day, a number of endurance competitions will be held, with the aim of breaking and setting new records.

Sounds like fun! Also have a look at Archery pics in our photo gallery.

It had to happen – hip-hop is now an international sport, thanks to the FISAF Fitness & Hip Hop World Championships that happened recently. And seeing that South Africa has a few international hip-hop stars, it was only a question of time before South African ‘hip-hop athletes’ started bringing home the medals. A team from the  South African Fitness Sport Aerobic Federation competed in the aforementioned World Champs and brought home a whole wad of medals -

In the Senior Category, the team Vuelta with coach, choreographer and competitor Marzanne le Roux and fellow team members, Regan Domingo, Wesley Jantjies, Ziané le Roux, Jabin.  Joseph, Hadley Esau, Craig Dunswa, Joe Louw achieved the 2nd place and silver medals.  This team was also the winners in the 2010 Regional- and National Championships.

The team Brooklyn with coach, choreographer and competitor, Hozé Jonas and fellow team members, David Petersen, Eric Darries, Nadine Whiting, Vernon Moses, Roxane Williams, Anita Fouché, Nelmari Addison achieved the 3rd place and bronze medals.

In the Junior Age category (13 – 16yrs) the 2nd place and silver medals were won by the team PO-10-C (coached and choreographed by Hozé Jonas).   Team members:  Kim Barnes, Elrene Roelfse, Lyle Jonas, Chirey Roelfse, Ikraam Abrahams, Graham Swartz,  Carmen Greybe,  Alston Louw.

In the Senior Category, the team Vuelta with coach, choreographer and competitor Marzanne le Roux and fellow team members, Regan Domingo, Wesley Jantjies, Ziané le Roux, Jabin.  Joseph, Hadley Esau, Craig Dunswa, Joe Louw achieved the 2nd place and silver medals.  This team was also the winners in the 2010 Regional- and National Championships.

The team Brooklyn with coach, choreographer and competitor, Hozé Jonas and fellow team members, David Petersen, Eric Darries, Nadine Whiting, Vernon Moses, Roxane Williams, Anita Fouché, Nelmari Addison achieved the 3rd place and bronze medals.

In the Junior Age category (13 – 16yrs) the 2nd place and silver medals were won by the team PO-10-C (coached and choreographed by Hozé Jonas).   Team members:  Kim Barnes, Elrene Roelfse, Lyle Jonas, Chirey Roelfse, Ikraam Abrahams, Graham Swartz,  Carmen Greybe,  Alston Louw.

Looking forward to the photos, guys!

Yes, Guitar Hero is a sport, in case you didn’t know.

This report from Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA), who is the custodian of electronic gaming on a national level in South Africa:

eSports (or better known as computer gaming) has long been considered to be a male preserve. All the top gamers are predominately male and women are few in number in this sport.

Even though eSports are growing in leaps and bounds , with membership growing monthly, and sales of eSports paraphenalia outstripping the combined sales of all other traditional sports, women still are under represented in all levels of the sport.

The MSSA has taken the call of ensuring that all are given equal opportunity, but it is thanks to the exceptional that real change can be effected in a real and sustainable manner.

Michelle is one such person, Michelle’s dedication to eSports ensured that the game of GUITAR HERO™ was played at every single MSSA provincial and national LAN championship. Such dedication ensured that the sponsor (SAMSUNG) received ample nationwide coverage and enabled gamers from around the country to participate,

Thus in gratitude to Michelle’s sterling efforts, the MSSA rewarded Michelle by granting her the title of Team Manager of the team that is to represent South Africa at the 2010 World Cyber Games to be held in Los Angeles, USA from 29 September 2010 to 3 October 2010.

Michelle is thus the first women to rise to the position of being a National Team Manager for a Protea eSports team.

There is no doubt, that under Michelle’s care, that the South African team will perform well.

The biggest mistake most rugby players make, is to follow a body building or bulking program all the time. There is a size and often an ego component to rugby which drives such rugby players to focus their efforts entirely on building muscle mass.

The necessity of muscle size and bulk does mean that there is a place for such training in a rugby players program but it cannot form the entire program and the results of such training can reduce speed, power and mobility of a rugby player, which are all vital components of rugby fitness. Read the rest of this entry

If you thought no-one else but South Africans were interested in the indigenous sport of Jukskei, think again. A group of Jukskei players are taking the game to the USA in a week or two, to take part in the World Horseshoe Pitching Championship as a display sport. Exciting times for Jukskei!

In February 2010, the International Jukskei Federation (seated in South Africa), received a formal invitation from Mr Stuart Sipma, President of the USA National Horseshoe Pitching Association (NHPA) to send a delegation of jukskei “people” to their World Horseshoe Pitching Championship, which is due to take place from 26 July to 7 August 2010 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The IJF graciously accepted the invitation. The first purpose of the planned tour is rekindle interest in and enthusiasm for the sport of Jukskei among Horseshoe pitchers. The Yanks are quite keen to, as the case in the 1970s until early 1990s was, to take up the role of a Jukskei-playing country again.
The planned tour will possibly be extended to include Quoits and Bocce, two other USA based sports. Jukskei will be demonstrated to them, which could lead to a series of bilateral discussions on the possible establishment of an overarching international confederation for precision throwing sports.