April - May 2008


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On Target

Master Archer and UWI Graduate Jonathan Kacal
by Anna Walcott Hardy

Jonathan Kacal has continued several family traditions including becoming an Engineer, like his father, two uncles and older brother. But the 37 year old has also introduced a new tradition - archery. It’s a sport that is growing in Trinidad and Tobago and one that Jonathan’s particularly good at, although the unassuming master archer would be hard pressed to admit it.

But one quick google of his name brings forward an impressive listing. A Trinidad Guardian (March 2006) piece speaks of his rise in world rankings, earning the first medal for the country at international competition level.

Once again, 35-year-old Jonathan Kacal, was in impressive form in international competition for T&T. The former student of Fatima College in Port of Spain, earned his country’s first ever medal at global level at the 23rd Battle of Carabobo tournament. Kacal helped T&T to the bronze medal in the Olympic Bow team event (an achievement that moved this country up to 41st place in the FITA’s international rankings).

He also earned fifth-place in the Olympic Bow 30 m with a new national record tally of 341 points (to surpass the old mark of 337) and also broke the national record in the FITA Ranking Round by achieving a score of 1167. Kacal’s performance in the elimination round earned him a world ranking of 207. Kacal was in outstanding form at the national championships: winning the overall Olympic Bow title. He also established national records of 309 in the 50 metre event at the August Tournament and 99 points in taking the overall title at the September Tournament. (Trinidad Guardian, March 2006).

A graduate of The UWI Faculty of Engineering at the St Augustine Campus [class of 1993], he’s currently Senior Engineer, Protection and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Department at the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC). Jonathan explained that he was drawn to archery because it was “a highly technical sport and with an Engineering background I liked the technical part and I liked that it was outdoors”.

“I actually got into archery just about when I was leaving UWI , in fact at that time archery was just starting up formally as a registered federation…I found out through a gentleman named David King who was the founding president of the T&T Target Archery Federation; I met him through a colleague and I just tried it .”

He would go on to become the current President of that very Federation, a position he has held for three years and Vice President prior to that for two years.

The Kacal (pronounced Kah-sal) family are originally from Czechoslovakia; Jonathan’s grandfather migrated to Trinidad from Europe in the 1930s with the Bata Company. He settled in Diego Martin and began a woodworking company which his son, Vladimir, (Jonathan’s father) has continued to manage. Unfortunately, Jonathan’s mother, a multi-talented teacher, art dealer and environmental consultant, passed away five years ago, ultimately succumbing to malaria while working on a forest co-management and sustainable livelihood project in Malawi. He has said that he’s learnt a lot from his parents including: “discipline and to better yourself and to rise to challenges”.

He has definitely taken-up the challenge. Since joining the National Shooting Team in 2001, his rankings have climbed quickly, having held the national championship title in 2005 and 2007 and competed at over 20 tournaments across the globe, including those in Brazil, Barbados, Colombia and Santo Domingo. In 2003 and 2005 he was nominated for Sportsman of the Year for Archery in T&T. He lists his best result as placing fourth in 2002 in Venezuela at the Battle of Carabobo, which is one of the Grand Prix Tournaments of the Americas. A committed team player he’s also proud of being part of the national team which took home bronze in 2005, an historic win, as it was the “first medal won by Trinidadian archers in a world ranked tournament”.

At a national tournament there may be as many as sixty competitors; and so with increasing support from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the T&T Olympic Committee, along with a spike in enrollment and the increase in awards gained by local archers, it’s no surprise that Trinidad and Tobago will host the South Caribbean Archery Championship in May.

The popularity of archery in Trinidad has also grown, especially among young people; interesting for a sport that dates as far back as 50,000 BC to Africa where the first stone arrowheads were probably constructed. Today, the Federation has expanded in size to have four clubs/ branches in West, East, Central and South Trinidad; with training grounds in Chaguaramas, Tunapuna, Charlieville and Gasparillo. Here, beginners, starting from 10 years, are provided with entry level equipment which includes bow, arrows, targets and some protective gear and of course training. But it’s not just a youth sport, it’s attracting sportsmen and women of all ages including senior citizens. There are local archers in their sixties competing nationally and doing very well.

“Archery helps with your sanity basically,” Jonathan added with a laugh. “You’re doing something other than what you do at work or at home. It helps you to expand your horizons; archery helps with your discipline; it helps you to be a little more centred; and being an individual sport, it helps you to self-motivate. It keeps you out of trouble too.”

For more information please e-mail jeskacal@tstt.net.tt.