The Real South African Competitive Spirit and International Friendships
“The joy of playing does not need to be sacrificed in the name of competition. On the contrary, the joy of playing includes winning and performing at your highest possible level. Sports ask for all of your mind, body, and spirit to win the game. It also demands that it be done with virtue. Accepting anything less transforms play into a selfish work.”
—Dr. Bill Thierfelder
THE JOY OF COMPETITION
The joy of competing against our international friends, and especially this week with our Commonwealth friends from Australia, New Zealand, Wales, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Botswana, plus our friends from Ireland, is a beautiful privilege for us all to experience and treasure.
FRIENDSHIPS, OLD AND NEW
Our prestigious sport is rich in long-lasting and treasured friendships which cut across all international boundaries and bind us together in our shared love of our beautiful and traditional sport. Old friendships have been rekindled and new friendships have been formed. These international friendships are for life and are enjoyed by tens of thousands of Clay Target Shooting competitors around the world.
INTERNATIONAL TRADITION
The International Clay Target Shooting Federation (ICTSF), the Clay Target Shooting Association of South Africa (CTSASA), the Western Cape Clay Target Shooting Association (WC CTSA) and Valley Clay Target Club, have all worked together in international friendship to present the 14th ICTSF World DTL Championship for the enjoyment of all competitors.
The staging of the CTSASA South African Grand 2023 for the preliminary events, and the 14th ICTSF World DTL Championship has been the culmination of hugely extensive hard work by Valley Clay Target Club, combined with international liaison between the CTSASA and the ICTSF.
The CTSASA, in keeping with the tradition of all the ICTSF member federations, warmly invites our international competitors to share our prestigious competitions, and to compete against us in the true spirit of competition where the best competitors win the accolades they so richly deserve.
ONLY ONE CAVEAT
Our rules contain just one caveat, and that is that the title of South African National Champion may only be awarded to a South African competitor. Where an international competitor shoots the highest score in a CTSASA South National Championship, he/she will receive the title of International South African National Champion.
Besides the above caveat, our rules have remained the same for nearly 70 years, where we honour our international friendships and competitors.
RECIPROCAL WARM INVITATION
Our South African CTSASA competitors will receive the same reciprocal warm invitation and hospitality in the prestigious national championships of our international friends in the ICTSF, where the honour of competing and winning is offered to us in the true spirit of international friendship and competition.
CTSASA WARMLY WELCOMES EVERYONE TO COMPETE WITH US : THESE ARE OUR VALUES AND HONOURABLE TRADITIONS
Any statement that goes contrary to the above spirit of our historical international friendship and true competitive spirit is not in keeping with our values or our history, and the CTSASA fully distances itself from any such statement.
The CTSASA is extremely proud of Valley Clay Target Club in upholding their long-established, and well-deserved, reputation as an international Clay Target Shooting venue for the CTSASA and South Africa, where everyone is made warmly welcome, where true competition takes place and where friendship is offered and received in the true spirit of human endeavour and sporting excellence.
We sincerely thank all our highly valued members and international friends who have competed in keeping with the above honourable traditions.
“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” ―Confucius
