BRAZIL-OLYMPICS/ARCHERY Indigenous archer in Brazil sets Olympics as his next target

Record ID: 332405

  • Title: BRAZIL-OLYMPICS/ARCHERY Indigenous archer in Brazil sets Olympics as his next target
  • Date: 24th March 2015
  • Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF YOUNG ARCHERS AIMING AND FIRING PRACTICE SHOTS AT MOUNTED TARGETS DURING A TRAINING SESSION CLOSE-UP OF ARROWS HITTING MOUNTED TARGETS CLOSE-UP OF AN ARCHER'S HANDS HOLDING THE BOW INDIGENOUS ARCHER, DREAM BRAGA, AIMING HIS BOW BRAGA TRAINING AMONGST OTHER ARCHERS (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) INDIGENOUS ARCHER, DREAM BRAGA, SAYING: "I always hunted, fished and used to hold little competitions with my friends - whoever could shoot closest to the target would win something, that type of thing." PRINTED TARGETS STUCK TO MOUNTS LEANING AGAINST THE WALL WITH ARROWS HITTING THEM VARIOUS OF ARCHERS WALKING TOWARDS THE TARGETS TO LOOK AT THE RESULTS JUDGES ANALYSING THE TARGETS AS ARCHERS STANDBY AWAITING RESULTS BRAGA SEEN THROUGH ARROW TAILS POKING HORIZONTALLY OUT OF TARGETS BRAGA PULLING ARROWS OUT OF TARGET (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) INDIGENOUS ARCHER, DREAM BRAGA, SAYING: "My dream is to continue training here and to take part in the national team. At the beginning of the year, the end of January, I came third place and just missed out on the team. I wanted to come second place but didn't manage it. But my objective is to get into an Olympics. It might not be 2016, but there is 2020, 2024, 2028. There are lots of Olympics in the future and I hope to be at one of them representing Brazil." BRAGA SITTING AMONG OTHER ARCHERS HOLDING HIS KIT AND STRETCHING HIS NECK ARCHERS PREPARING KIT AND WALKING TOWARDS TARGETS ARCHERS PULLING ARROWS OUT OF THE TARGETS AN ARCHER WALKING INSIDE THE TRAINING STUDIO AND TALKING WITH A JUDGE AN ARCHER LIFTING HIS BOW AND SHOOTING AN ARROW
  • Embargoed: 8th April 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA1FGTJFAFU6ZWVYRC8U01TIKKH
  • Story Text: Dream Braga has been shooting fish with a bow and arrow for most of his life. In the Amazonian village where he grew up, that was what kids did for food and fun.
    Now Braga is one of seven indigenous youths chosen for their archery skills by a program that aims to get them competing in international archery competitions for Brazil.
    "I always hunted, fished and used to hold little competitions with my friends - whoever could shoot closest to the target would win something, that type of thing," Braga told Reuters at a training camp in Rio de Janeiro.
    After training with Olympic coaches for three months, he has set his sights on participating on Brazil's national team.
    Aged 18, he is unlikely to secure one of Brazil's three archery spots for next year's Rio Olympics but he still harbours lofty ambitions.
    "My dream is to continue training here and to take part in the national team. At the beginning of the year, the end of January, I came third place and just missed out on the team. I wanted to come second place but didn't manage it, but my objective is to get into an Olympics," he said.
    "It might not be 2016, but there is 2020, 2024, 2028. There are lots of Olympics in the future and I hope to be at one of them representing Brazil," Braga added.
    Getting this far is an achievement in itself for Braga, whose indigenous community Cambeba is 500 kilometres (311 miles) by boat from the nearest big city.
    The recurve competition bow is a far cry from the ones he and his father made from palm trees and which lasted a week, and shooting targets is very different from standing in the shallow waters shooting fish.
    The cord is different, as is the weight, the strength and the stabilizer, Braga explained, concluding that though traditional and Olympic techniques differ considerably, he felt he had evolved quickly.
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