Top shot Van Schaik makes Mpumalanga proud
Van Schaik also ended in the 19th place overall in the SACRA individual championships which included the overseas shooters, 14th overall among the South African marksmen, second overall among the police members and first among the Mpumalanga shooters
SECUNDA – The local crack shot, W/O Louwrens van Schaik, excelled in the police’s, the SANDF’s and the South African Combat Rifle Association’s national combat rifle championships held in Bloemfontein from 3 to 10 August.
These championships comprised of the national police champs, the national competition of the South African National Combat Rifle Association, and an inter-services competition between members from the police, SANDF, Air Force, Correctional Service and the Metro Police.
Other countries that competed against the South Africans were the Netherlands, USA, Botswana, Lesotho, New Zealand and a marksman from Belgium. Members from Netherlands, USA, New Zealand and Belgium were using their own rifles and ammunition from aboard during the championships.
W/O Van Schaik, who is also the Mpumalanga deputy chairman of the Combat Rifle Association, said 301 shooters took part in SACRA National Combat Rifle Championships, which included shooters from all provinces in South Africa.
He was one of 148 marksmen competing in the X-Class.
In the SACRA national championship, Van Schaik was selected for the Protea Green four-man composite team that achieved a second place in the close-quarter battle team match, and a gold medal in the counter terrorist team match.
He also received a gold medal in Match 26 where he was competing in the inter-services match. The national police A-team came first.
Van Schaik was selected as the coach for the SACRA SA B-team that obtained a third place in Match 29 (South African National teams’ match).
He placed 14th in the Top 100 shooters which included the international marksmen, and was awarded a silver medal after three days of individual match competitions.
Van Schaik also ended in the 19th place overall in the SACRA individual championships which included the overseas shooters, 14th overall among the South African marksmen, second overall among the police members and first among the Mpumalanga shooters.
In the police championship, Van Schaik ended overall second among all the classes in the police championships and was also the best veteran shot in all the classes. He further won four gold medals and two silver medals in the X-Class.
He formed part of a four-man team that represented Mpumalanga at the police champs. This team took part in the A league and achieved silver medals in the Counter Terrorist match and the 200m Snap (Standing/kneeling/squatting). All four members hail from the Eastern Highveld area.
This annual competition takes place in Bloemfontein where the weather changes are extreme.
“The mornings were extremely cold with extreme winds changing direction very quickly and with mirage. The wind was so strong that it even shook big LDV’s, bended the target frames and created dust storms,” Van Schaik said.
The shooters had to face all of these elements and at times even had to aim off their target frames just to be able to hit their targets.
“All our equipment was full of dust and sand after the championships.We had to clean our rifles and equipment after each day’s shoot to be ready for the next day,” he explained.
