Archers happy to have made their mark at Games

The 2026 Youth Olympics has made for an unforgettable experience for Team South Africa’s archers, Benjamin Oosthuizen and Layla Viljoen. Although both were eliminated in the Round of 16 on Saturday, the 17-year-olds shared the similar feelings of pride in their performances, and their opportunity to represent their country.

Oosthuizen was first up on Saturday against the fifth seed from South Korea, Jiho Lee. The South African from Cape Town pushed Lee to the end, however the two perfect rounds from the Korean spurred him to victory.

Oosthuizen spoke about the experience with a big smile across his face. “I am very happy with how I shot. It is difficult when you are up against that calibre of opponent who rarely falters. I can certainly hold my head up high and say that I gave it my best.

“This has been an incredible experience. We as archers do not usually travel in big teams and being here in Dakar as a member of Team South Africa is an honour. I have enjoyed getting to know all the other athletes and I believe new friendships have been formed.”

Viljoen was in the match that followed Oosthuizen. The Bloemhof High School student from Cape Town faced off against the 13th seed from Slovakia, Adela Tollarovicova. Their match went down to the wire as they were tied 5-5 in the first to six. This meant they had to face off in a one shot shoot off. The Slovakian shot first, scoring nine and Viljoen narrowly missed the circle of the nine and ended up in the eight.

Viljoen politely asked for a minute or two to herself to collect her emotions and when returning from the difficult loss, she shared her lifted feelings. “Of course it sucks to be so close to the win and for it to slip through your fingers in one shot but that is the nature if archery and it is one of the reasons I love this sport. It is always on a knife’s edge, and you must be on top of your game all the way through.

“This experience has been incredible for me, and I am delighted with my performance here. It has shown me that I can reach the next level and succeed in this sport. I am turning 18, which means I will be moving up to the senior circuit. I am very excited for that and I hope I earn the opportunity and the honour of representing my country on the world’s stage again. This has made me want it more than ever.”

The two young archers will remain with the team until Thursday and in the meantime, they are looking forward to travelling to the venues where fellow South African athletes will be competing to cheer them on and embrace the time they have with the squad.