An archery school has opened across four locations in the southern suburbs of Greater Buenos Aires, offering residents an alternative sport focused entirely on self-improvement.
Miguel Dobarro founded ONA Sur 13 years ago to share the practice after it helped him through a personal crisis, Zonales reported.
The program now serves around 100 federated archers and provides equipment for beginners who want to try the sport without buying gear.
Dobarro began his involvement with archery at age 25 after encountering the practice at an exhibition, Zonales reported. He bought his first bow immediately and later trained in Palermo, winning a beginner category at a national competition two months later.
Before dedicating himself to the sport full-time, Dobarro worked for years in gas and heating installations. He eventually finished a project, told his wife he wanted a change, and left the trade.
«Fue como una especie de crisis personal. Terminé un proyecto y le dije a mi mujer: ‘No quiero hacer más esto’», Dobarro told Zonales.
When Dobarro started competing nearly 30 years ago, training locations in the southern region were scarce, leaving athletes to travel to Capital Federal or northern zones. He trained initially at Tiro Federal in Lomas de Zamora and later at a club in Avellaneda.
ONA Sur first opened in Valentín Alsina before establishing its central headquarters at Club Roca in Remedios de Escalada. To accommodate students traveling from distant neighborhoods, the school added branches in Gerli, Glew, and Monte Grande, where classes meet at Club La Manzana on Ramón Santamarina 1326.
«Cada uno busca algo en la arquería», Dobarro told Zonales, noting that while some students train multiple times weekly for competition, others use the space to socialize and drink mate.
ONA Sur instructors teach students how to position their bodies, handle the equipment, and correct shooting movements during introductory sessions. Dobarro advises newcomers to use club bows before investing in their own gear.
«No hay que ser ni Arrow ni Robin Hood, es todo técnica», Dobarro told Zonales, emphasizing that beginners do not need prior experience or special aim.
According to Dobarro’s remarks to Zonales, this discipline stands out as a rare athletic pursuit where opponents cannot interfere with your performance, because your only true rival is yourself as you refine your technique and movements to reach the highest level of personal mastery possible.
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