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African Archery Championships and Olympic Qualifier Conclude
Lausanne
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The Moroccan Archery Federation hosted the 2012 Open African Championships and Continental Qualifier Tournament for the 2012 London Olympic Games. This event was held in Rabat from 11-16 March 2012. 
The 9th Federation of African Archery Closed Championships took place in Rabat, Morocco, where 17 Africa countries, all hopeful of winning a slot at the London 2012 Olympics took to the line. Visiting countries competing in the Open Championships included Belgium, Switzerland, Poland and Iraq.
The standard was high. A number of African countries set new standards, including host Egypt who shot a new national record in the mixed team event of 139 and South Africa who shot a score of 147 out of a possible 150 in the Compound Men eliminations.
One of the highlights in the Recurve Men category was 6th ranked Rene KOUASSI (CIV) photo who showed amazing skill in progressing from the 1/16 against known African champions and who met No 1 ranked Ahmed EL?NEMR (EGY) in the gold medal match, winning a slot for the Ivory Coast. The bronze medal went to the 2010 Youth Olympic Champion Ibrahim SABRY.
The tournament, which was run under the auspices of the Federation of African Archery, demonstrated a high standard of the sport with a number of countries establishing new national records, including Switzerland in the open division and Egypt in the closed division.
According to Selwyn MOSKOVITZ, the development officer for the Federation of African Archery (FAA), “The level of quality of the junior and young archers demonstrated at these games are promising and gives us a great opportunity to start nurturing them for the Youth Olympics”.
“New and exciting young archers are moving through the ranks, like Kpetchehoue ZINSOU (BEN) who took gold in the Recurve Cadet Women with high level scores and beating archers like Chaime EL BENNAY (MAR) who took silver and Noha ELWAKIL (EGY) who earned bronze in the closed event”.
Once again, the FAA has proven that it can host a world standard tournament in a host country, irrespective of the level of development in that country. It is our wish to leave a good legacy behind with locally qualified judges and coaches who can experience the feel of a world ranking tournament”, he added.
The activities had started with a training camp for 39 participants from 13 countries a week prior to the championships. This initiative was made possible by a grant from Olympic Solidarity under the auspices of World Archery. The tournament was also used as a platform to introduce the Federation of African Archery Development round, where archers shoot on a 122cm target at 30m. The development round allowed countries that were introducing archery in their countries to experience a world standard tournament.
“The opportunity afforded to Africa by Olympic Solidarity by allowing 39 athletes and coaches to be exposed to high level coaches and expertise will go a long way to ensuring standards are met and growing the coach capacity throughout the continent”, said Mr. MOSKOVITZ.
The FAA President Dr Ala GABR thanked World Archery for their support in growing the sport in Africa and for their very important role in ensuring a successful coaches workshop and tournament.
The event also served as Continental Qualifying Tournament for the upcoming London Olympic Games. The quota places went to Egypt and Ivory Coast in Recurve Men (with Algeria on standby), while on the women’s side the quota places went to Egypt and South Africa (Mauritius is on standby).
Running concurrently with the African Archery Championships and Olympic Qualifier in Rabat was the 1st African Commonwealth Archery Championships. The African Commonwealth champions were determined using the score of the qualification round. Five countries participated (Namibia, South Africa, Mauritius, Uganda, and Kenya) in the Compound Men, Compound Men Open, Compound Women, Recurve Men and Recurve Women categories. This was the first of a series of Continental Commonwealth tournaments that will take place over the next year, with the intention of the winners challenging each other to find the Commonwealth Archery Champions of the world. At the games, South Africa took 3 golds and 2 silver medals. Namibia took one gold, 2 silver and two bronze medals. Mauritius earned one gold and a bronze medal; and Kenya a bronze.
Results and photographs can be found at the Continental Federations website www.africanarchery.org.
World Archery Communication
The 9th Federation of African Archery Closed Championships took place in Rabat, Morocco, where 17 Africa countries, all hopeful of winning a slot at the London 2012 Olympics took to the line. Visiting countries competing in the Open Championships included Belgium, Switzerland, Poland and Iraq.The standard was high. A number of African countries set new standards, including host Egypt who shot a new national record in the mixed team event of 139 and South Africa who shot a score of 147 out of a possible 150 in the Compound Men eliminations.
One of the highlights in the Recurve Men category was 6th ranked Rene KOUASSI (CIV) photo who showed amazing skill in progressing from the 1/16 against known African champions and who met No 1 ranked Ahmed EL?NEMR (EGY) in the gold medal match, winning a slot for the Ivory Coast. The bronze medal went to the 2010 Youth Olympic Champion Ibrahim SABRY.
The tournament, which was run under the auspices of the Federation of African Archery, demonstrated a high standard of the sport with a number of countries establishing new national records, including Switzerland in the open division and Egypt in the closed division.
According to Selwyn MOSKOVITZ, the development officer for the Federation of African Archery (FAA), “The level of quality of the junior and young archers demonstrated at these games are promising and gives us a great opportunity to start nurturing them for the Youth Olympics”.
“New and exciting young archers are moving through the ranks, like Kpetchehoue ZINSOU (BEN) who took gold in the Recurve Cadet Women with high level scores and beating archers like Chaime EL BENNAY (MAR) who took silver and Noha ELWAKIL (EGY) who earned bronze in the closed event”.Once again, the FAA has proven that it can host a world standard tournament in a host country, irrespective of the level of development in that country. It is our wish to leave a good legacy behind with locally qualified judges and coaches who can experience the feel of a world ranking tournament”, he added.
The activities had started with a training camp for 39 participants from 13 countries a week prior to the championships. This initiative was made possible by a grant from Olympic Solidarity under the auspices of World Archery. The tournament was also used as a platform to introduce the Federation of African Archery Development round, where archers shoot on a 122cm target at 30m. The development round allowed countries that were introducing archery in their countries to experience a world standard tournament.
“The opportunity afforded to Africa by Olympic Solidarity by allowing 39 athletes and coaches to be exposed to high level coaches and expertise will go a long way to ensuring standards are met and growing the coach capacity throughout the continent”, said Mr. MOSKOVITZ.
The FAA President Dr Ala GABR thanked World Archery for their support in growing the sport in Africa and for their very important role in ensuring a successful coaches workshop and tournament.The event also served as Continental Qualifying Tournament for the upcoming London Olympic Games. The quota places went to Egypt and Ivory Coast in Recurve Men (with Algeria on standby), while on the women’s side the quota places went to Egypt and South Africa (Mauritius is on standby).
Running concurrently with the African Archery Championships and Olympic Qualifier in Rabat was the 1st African Commonwealth Archery Championships. The African Commonwealth champions were determined using the score of the qualification round. Five countries participated (Namibia, South Africa, Mauritius, Uganda, and Kenya) in the Compound Men, Compound Men Open, Compound Women, Recurve Men and Recurve Women categories. This was the first of a series of Continental Commonwealth tournaments that will take place over the next year, with the intention of the winners challenging each other to find the Commonwealth Archery Champions of the world. At the games, South Africa took 3 golds and 2 silver medals. Namibia took one gold, 2 silver and two bronze medals. Mauritius earned one gold and a bronze medal; and Kenya a bronze.
Results and photographs can be found at the Continental Federations website www.africanarchery.org.
World Archery Communication
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