Targeting archery gold at Maccabiah

MELBURNIAN Jeff Holloway is set to make history, when he becomes Australia’s first representative in the inaugural archery competition at the 19th Maccabiah Games.

The 49-year-old will fulfil his burning desire to compete at the elite competition next month, and lists Paralympic archer Antonio Rebollo, who lit the Olympic flame in Barcelona in 1992, as his inspiration.

“That was really the most exciting lighting of a torch I’d ever seen,” Holloway said.

“I’ve always had ambition to take the competition further and always dreamed of being able to go to Maccabiah with it.”

The competition will consist of 20 archers from across the globe, competing in the recurve bow and compound bow events, with Holloway taking part in the latter.

“The thing I love about it is the focus,” Holloway said.

“To be able to block everything out and to be able to focus on something within the focus and something within that focus. It is intense.

“[And] you don’t have to be a massive athlete, hyper-intelligent, or tall or short – it works for everybody.”

In the lead-up to the Games, Holloway competed in the Sydney Metropolitan Championships, before enjoying a one-on-one chat with veteran archery coach James Park, who has guided more Olympic athletes than anyone else.

“It was an absolute privilege,” said Holloway.

“He made micro-corrections to my form that made huge dif- ferences straight away.”

Meanwhile, Australia will take a seven-man ten pin bowling team to the Games, headlined by gun bowlers Joel Ninyo and Matt Doobov.

Both will return for their second stint at Maccabiah on a mission to grab a medal.

“The competition is incredible and it’s a massive adrenaline rush being there, knowing that every single day there are medals on the line,” Ninyo, 25, said.

Doobov, 27, added: “I would love to bring home a medal or five, but I would really just like to bowl a bit better than I did last time.”

The squad also includes Josh Small, Adam Goldberg, Phil Sachs and Tony Aarons.

AJN Staff

Photo: Peter Haskin