It's Time Again - National Tournaments 2020
The stage [grounds] are set, weather looking ideal, Archery Australia officials and judges have arrived, target butts polished, new flag poles and wind bags in place and the Victor Harbor Archery Club members working at an incredible pace to ensure the 2020 National Easton Open Tournament, National Matchplay Series Finals and Olympic Trials are another big success.
In 2019 VHAC hosted these same events with finals conducted in the Soldiers Memorial Gardens on the foreshore in Victor Harbor. This year all events and finals will be held on the club's shooting grounds on Back Valley Oval. Thankfully the weather forecast for the length of the events is promising to be mild compared to the heatwave we endured in 2019.
The Easton Open will run from this Thursday 20th February to Saturday 22nd. Ranking rounds Thursday will followed on Friday with elimination Matchplay rounds with the finals held Saturday.
The National Matchplay Series Finals will be held on Sunday 23rd and the Olympic Trials will run over three days from Monday 24th to 26th.
With a week of busy activity our trustee catering team will be working overtime to provide meals, treats and drinks to keep up with much needed energy that will be expended by all during these events.
The opportunity to host these World Class tournaments has come mainly through the efforts of Pat Coghlan, one of Australia's top compound archers and an original founder of the Victor Harbor Archery Club. Pat has worked tirelessly with Archery Australia over many years to raise the profile of archery as a sport in Australia and has represented Australia at major World Archery events. Pat is the Director of Services for these upcoming tournaments and will also be competing himself.
VHAC is honoured with the opportunity of hosting these events and this year will be the last opportunity for South Australians to see our elite archers compete. In the words of President Graham Potts: 'Hosting these World Class Tournaments has exposed VHAC to the World and Australia nationally. It has acknowledged the club's grounds on Back Valley oval as worthy of world class competition. There has been the opportunity for South Australian archers to resume old and make new friendships with elite archers from other states and countries and generally experience first-hand knowledge on how to organise and compete in high level competition."
