The 2023 Northwest Territories Archery Championships were a resounding success, according to Carson Roche, who organized the three-day tournament with his colleagues at Aboriginal Sports Circle NWT (ASCNWT).
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He estimates well over half of the 42 participants were Indigenous, and he was happy to see such widespread interest in archery, which ASCNWT classifies as a traditional sport.
Participants in the tournament were broken down into three age groups: one for competitors under 14, another for those under 18, and an open age group. Each age group had the option of competing in compound bow, recurve bow and team events.
SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of kids showed up for the U14 category, which is nice,SA国际影视传媒� Roche said, noting that ASCNWT did outreach at the local school ahead of the tournament. SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 the age group you want to get started in archery, so hopefully they stick around.SA国际影视传媒�
The winners for each age group and event were crowned at a ceremony on Sunday Oct. 22. They received prizes donated by YKArchery.com, a supplier of archery equipment in NWT.
The youngest winners received first choice of prizes.
With three events per age category, there were more than a dozen winners on the day, but the points leader for the entire weekend was 14-year-old Nicholas Graham, who travelled with his family from Hay River to participate.
Graham, who did not have much experience in archery beforehand, racked up a stunning 153 points over the course of the weekend.
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SA国际影视传媒淭heySA国际影视传媒檙e naturals,SA国际影视传媒� Roche added. SA国际影视传媒淭heySA国际影视传媒檝e kind of been peeking their heads into the sport, and his mom emailed me today asking how to buy a bow for her son, how to make sure itSA国际影视传媒檚 the right one so he can practice and maybe compete.SA国际影视传媒�
There were a few hiccups over the course of the weekend. One morning, as Roche and his team prepared to get the competition underway, they were delayed by a group of bison meandering across the tournament grounds.
SA国际影视传媒淲e had to wait until they left,SA国际影视传媒� he said, laughing.
When all was said and done, however, people seemed to have enjoyed their time at the tournament SA国际影视传媒� whether they took home prizes or not.
SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 getting so many emails already from people asking, SA国际影视传媒楬ow do I get gear?SA国际影视传媒� and, SA国际影视传媒榃henSA国际影视传媒檚 the next archery event?SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒� Roche said. SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 been a lot of great feedback from the parents, and the kids had a lot of fun.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a fun event. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 been going for a long time, and weSA国际影视传媒檙e already looking at finding [a location for] the next one.SA国际影视传媒�
ASCNWT was created in 1999 SA国际影视传媒渋n response to the need for more accessible and equitable sport and recreation opportunities for Aboriginal peoples across the Northwest Territories,SA国际影视传媒� according to the organizationSA国际影视传媒檚 website.
