Villaviciosa hits the target: the local goalkeeper club is having a good time, with a boom in fans and titlesAlicia García-Ovies

The sound of an arrow in its trajectory after being launched is unmistakable, as is the sound produced when it manages to hit the target. A sharp, forceful blow that reveals the speed that the projectile takes from the moment it leaves the arc until it reaches its target. A soundtrack that for six years has been repeated afternoon after afternoon in the Maliayo school sports center, where the Arqueros de Villaviciosa club trains.

The entity was born out of the interest of a group of fans of this sport and in the last three years it has experienced significant growth that is reflected in the number of members, goalkeepers and titles. The last of them was added this weekend: Ana María López de la Reina was proclaimed champion of Spain for mixed teams and third in 3D Indoor.

They currently have 56 partners, of which around twenty-five compete. In addition, there are eight people in the initiation course who will eventually become an official part of the entity. “At first it was difficult for us to get started, but three years ago we made a very big leap,” highlights Emilio Álvarez, president of the club. One of the reasons is that archery can be practiced at any age. People, he explains, “usually start at eight or nine years old, and we have goalkeepers who are already 80. No specific physical qualities are needed, it’s all training and work.”

An excessively high economic level is not required either. A traditional bow for someone who is just starting out can cost 300 euros, while the complete composite equipment is around 600 or 700. From there, “whatever you want to spend.”

Herminio García began shooting in 2007 thanks to a course they organized precisely at the Maliayese school. “I came to ask for my children, they didn’t stay, but I did,” he says, laughing. Since there was no club in Villaviciosa at the time, his first steps were in Gijón. When he met Emilio, they both decided to get together and, together with other goalkeepers, take the Maliayese team forward. “Archery is fun and, although it may seem monotonous, you are motivated to do better and better,” he says.

Its modality is the Olympic bow, one of the most complicated, as it requires a perfect fit “between the bow, its power, the archer and the arrows to shoot.” On the opposite side is the compound bow, or pulley bow. «The main difference is that it has a set of two pulleys. This allows you to pull with more power without costing as much. It also has a larger viewfinder and greater precision, although they tend to weigh more,” says María Álvarez, who became Spanish champion. The other two disciplines practiced at the club are the traditional bow and the longbow.

“Each bow has its own technique and depends on each one,” confirms little Helena Barreiros, recent Asturian champion in alevín recurve. She is one of the youngest athletes, along with Álvaro Cancio and Leo de la Torre, so with them it is clear that the future of Arqueros Villaviciosa is more than assured and with a very high bar.