Africa championship Finale of Africa Cup - Sporting - South Africa (March 2008)

Registration closed

Sporting

1 targets

Participants

0 /80

Start

Mar 13, 2008, 02:00

Europe/Kyiv (UTC+2)

End

Mar 16, 2008, 02:00

Europe/Kyiv (UTC+2)

Until competition start

0 days

Location

Paarl, South Africa

Status

Registration closed

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Results

About competition

The 2008 FITASC Sporting Africa Championship (incorporating the prestigious Finale of the Africa Cup) was a premier continental clay target shooting tournament held from March 13th to March 16th, 2008. Staged as a four-day showcase event on the international shotgun calendar, this championship gathered top-tier South African shooters, continental competitors, and visiting international squads to contest the main Sporting discipline (Parcours de chasse). The tournament was proudly hosted at the world-class facilities of the Valley Gun Club in Paarl, near Cape Town, South Africa.

Event Highlights & Structural Parameters

Operating under the official international framework of the global tournament schedule, this African Championship combined Western Cape hospitality with strict international competition standards:

Sanctioning Architecture: The competition operated under the direct international authority of FITASC (Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse), in close coordination with Compak South Africa and the CTSASA (Clay Target Shooting Association of South Africa), certifying that all multi-field course configurations, target flight trajectories, and firearm compliance parameters conformed to tier-1 global rules.
The Continental Crown & Africa Cup Finale: Serving as the high-stakes final leg of the 2008 Africa Cup, this event combined seasonal qualification points across the continent to crown the overall Africa Cup champions across Individual, Category, and National Team divisions.
The Simonsberg Valley Terrain: Nestled among lush vineyards and overlooked by the dramatic Simonsberg Mountains, the venue presented a highly technical landscape. Shooters had to adapt to changing mountain shadows, shifting Cape wind vectors, and deceptive natural topography.

1. Championship Program & Operational Schedule

The 200-target continental qualification course was distributed across a multi-day international schedule, preceded by administrative and preparation blocks:

March 11th – March 12th (Tuesday – Wednesday): Arrival of international and continental delegations, firearm customs clearance, squadding registration, weapon safety compliance verifications, and open training lines on designated sporting tracks.
March 13th (Thursday) — Championship Day One: Phase 1 of the official continental qualification course opens across specialized natural layouts.
March 14th – March 15th (Friday – Saturday): Middle qualification stages. Scoring margins tighten as competitors navigate wind-affected target trajectories over the mountainous background.
March 16th (Sunday) — Championship Final Day: Concluding qualification flights, followed immediately by high-stakes, sudden-death international tie-breaking shoot-offs (barrages) to determine the definitive individual and category podium positions.
March 16th (Sunday) — Official Closing & Awards Ceremony: Staged Sunday afternoon to honor individual, category, and national team winners, officially crowning the 2008 African Sporting Champions and finalizing the Africa Cup standings.

2. Venue Profile & Logistical Location Details

All tournament operations, specialized shooting tracks, and central administrative offices were hosted by one of South Africa's most historic and scenic clay shooting complexes:

Host Venue:

Valley Gun Club

Simonsberg Mountain Foothills, Paarl Valley,

Western Cape, South Africa

(Located near Cape Town and Winelands tourism hubs)

The Valley Gun Club is widely recognized as the premier clay target shooting installation in the Western Cape. Spanning 40 hectares of prime shooting grounds surrounded by vineyards, the range offers extensive target launcher configurations, modern clubhouse amenities, and classic South African hospitality, providing an ideal competitive backdrop for international major championships.

3. Organizing Committee & Registration Framework

Administrative operations and international competitor registries followed strict timeline allocations managed through the global governing body and its national affiliate:

National Coordinating Partner: Clay Target Shooting Association of South Africa (CTSASA) / Compak South Africa
International Sanctioning Oversight: Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse (FITASC)

Shooting Ground

Valley Gun Club

Paarl, South Africa

Valley Gun Club (historically known as Paarl Gun Club) is indisputably the premier clay target shooting facility in Africa, located in the picturesque Simonsberg Mountains within the Paarl Valley, Western Cape. Established in 1956, this expansive 40-hectare estate caters to everyone, from elite global athletes and passionate amateurs to families and corporate teams. Its absolute standout feature is the unique mountainous terrain and lush vineyard landscape, which creates highly challenging wind and optical conditions that perfectly simulate the unpredictability of wild hunting.

The club boasts a rich competitive pedigree, serving as a prestigious venue for major international events, including the 2010 DTL Trap World Championships and FITASC Africa Cups. On a local level, it hosts monthly "Club 100" competitions across all standard disciplines, alongside provincial and national trials. Thanks to its world-class infrastructure and challenging environmental factors, it has become a renowned proving ground where champions are forged and world-class scores are achieved.

To accommodate both high-volume international tournaments and daily recreational shooting without compromising strict safety zones, the 40-hectare grounds are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. The core sporting infrastructure includes:

10 ATA & DTL Trap ranges.
4 Compak Sporting and 4 traditional Sporting ranges.
2 Skeet ranges.
1 Universal Trench, 1 Olympic Trap, and an exclusive ZZ Range for advanced technical shooting.
An on-site Gun Shop and Armoury for convenient ammunition sales and secure firearm storage.

Beyond pure competition, Valley Gun Club excels in its training and development programs. The club offers comprehensive coaching tailored to all skill levels, ensuring a safe introduction for complete beginners and marginal gains for seasoned professionals. Dedicated coaching sessions with experienced professionals (such as C. Potgieter) are available starting at R400 per hour, allowing shooters to progressively scale their skills from predictable trap flights to complex sporting trajectories.

The venue also operates as a premium country club, heavily promoting its "turnkey" corporate and recreational packages with the motto that clay shooting is "better than a golf day". This makes it an ideal destination for team building, bachelor parties, and family gatherings. The exceptional hospitality and service amenities include:

A modern, fully air-conditioned clubhouse ideal for banquets, networking, and relaxation.
A fully licensed bar for post-shoot socializing.
Two covered, traditional braai (BBQ) areas and an authentic wood-fired pizza oven.
Commercial kitchen facilities managed alongside catering partners to handle events of various sizes.

Ultimately, Valley Gun Club provides an unparalleled "all-in-one" experience. Beginners enjoy a welcoming and safe environment, athletes benefit from top-tier automated traps and varied disciplines, and corporate groups receive exclusive networking opportunities. The seamless combination of exceptional hospitality, rigorous safety standards, and elite sporting facilities firmly cements its status as the ultimate destination for clay target shooting in South Africa.

Operating Hours:

Tue – Sat: 08:00 – 17:00
Sun – Mon: CLOSED
(Note: The club is open on most public holidays, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day.)

R312 Suid-Agter-Paarl Rd, Paarl Farms, Paarl, 7650, Afrique du Sud

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Africa championship Finale of Africa Cup - Sporting - South Africa (March 2008)

Actions

About competition

Event Highlights & Structural Parameters

1. Championship Program & Operational Schedule

2. Venue Profile & Logistical Location Details

3. Organizing Committee & Registration Framework

Valley Gun Club

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