On Sunday, April 3, 2011, the 4th Rheingold Taikai took place in Erkrath. Archers from Frankfurt, Bad Dürkheim, Detmold, Schwerte, and Aachen made their way to the gymnasium at the Gymnasium am Neandertal. The team from Munich had traveled the farthest. Together with the hosts, 24 kyudoka competed in the tournament.

Following the opening remarks—which included a minute of silence to honor the victims of the earthquake disaster in northeastern Japan—the competition director, Shigeyasu Kameo (Renshi 6th Dan), led the Yawatashi.

Eight teams, each consisting of three archers, were highly motivated for the team competition. The team from Aachen—comprising Ulla Haede, Michael Schubert, and Wolfgang Brauers—scored the most hits. The victory was well-deserved, as Ulla Haede managed to land four arrows in the smallest target, which was 24 cm in diameter. In second place was the joint team from the clubs in Schwerte and Detmold, while third place went to the mixed team from Frankfurt and Bad Dürkheim.

Things got extremely exciting after the lunch break during the individual competition. After four preliminary rounds—in each of which archers with a 50% hit rate advanced to the next round—seven kyudoka remained for the final round. Michael Meßler from Bad Dürkheim and Christoph Wallrafen engaged in a thrilling duel at the end. Both demonstrated strong nerves and landed one confident hit after another. In the final round, the conditions were made more challenging, and the targets were reduced to 24 cm in diameter. The shooter from the Palatinate kept his composure and sent his final arrow safely into the mato. Third place went to Maximilian Neuhoff, a member of the “Neandertaler” club.

Competitors and spectators alike were delighted with the successful event. Shigeyasu Kameo’s competent and relaxed management of the competition contributed greatly to the pleasant atmosphere.

Automatically translated by DeepL