Sebastian Lauinger during The 2023 Africa Genesis Archery (AGA) World Tournament, held at Camp Discovery in South Africa’s Limpopo province. It welcomed more than 40 Canadian archers who helped Team Canada bring home gold. (photo/Tammy Lauinger)

By Kenneth Cheung

LOCAL TALENT

From Unity to Namibia: Small-town archer set to represent Canada at AGA World Tournament

Apr 7, 2025 | 4:39 PM

In the quiet prairie town of Unity, a young athlete is preparing for an extraordinary journey.

Sebastian Lauinger, a student at Unity Composite High School, is heading to Walvis Bay, Namibia, to represent Canada at the Africa Genesis Archery (AGA) World Tournament, set to take place from July 24 to 26.

The prestigious competition is part of a growing global movement in youth archery rooted in the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) — a school-based initiative launched in 2002 that has since expanded across Canada and the United States among students in Grades 4 to 12.

NASP emphasizes inclusion, focus and skill by having all students shoot identical Genesis bows, ensuring no mechanical advantage.

In Africa, NASP evolved into AGA, which brings together youth from countries including Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa. These tournaments are known not only for their competitive spirit, but also for fostering international camaraderie.

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For Lauinger, this isn’t just another trip; it’s a return to the international stage, where some of the world’s top young archers will compete.

“This is my second one,” he said. “I went two years ago to South Africa.”

Lauinger and an AGA representative took a photo with the championship trophy that Team Canada won at the 2023 AGA World Tournament.(submitted/ Tammy Lauinger)

The 2023 AGA World Tournament, held at Camp Discovery in South Africa’s Limpopo province, welcomed more than 40 Canadian archers who helped Team Canada bring home gold.

Now, Lauinger is preparing for Namibia, where the event will host about 250 archers from six countries: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa and Canada. Each country is expected to field a team of roughly 48 athletes.

“That really sealed my fate for going on this trip,” he said, referring to the performance that earned his spot on the team.

Lauinger holds Canadian national records in both bullseye and 3D archery. He surpassed the previous bullseye record of 296 with a score of 297 out of 300. In the 3D event (a challenging format involving life-sized foam animal targets) he earned a 296, beating the previous record of 292.

What makes the AGA tournament stand out, he said, is its focus on raw skill.

“Everybody shoots the same bow. There’s no upgrade you can do… there’s no mechanical advantage for anybody,” he explained. “Yeah, it’s all skill.”

While most competitions in Canada focus on individual scores, the AGA tournament is entirely team-based.

“Everything I compete at in Canada, it’s an individual score,” he said. “But these tournaments in Africa, they’re entirely team based… which is totally different for me.”

Despite coming from a town of just 2,500 people, Lauinger trains with the consistency and focus of a top-level athlete.

“I just shoot every day,” he said. “I probably shoot at least 60 arrows every night, sometimes more. All I can do is just shoot and practice and get used to it.”

His passion for archery began early.

“I got my first bow when I was about two years old… I’ve had a bow my entire life,” he said.

Though he only began competing seriously in Grade 8, Lauinger has steadily developed his skillset, turning a childhood hobby into a spot on Team Canada.

Team Canada bring home gold from the 2023 AGA World Tournament.(submitted/ Tammy Lauinger)

That growth has been supported by the extracurricular archery program at Unity Composite High School, which is part of a local effort to bring NASP to rural Saskatchewan backed by the Unity Wildlife Federation and parent volunteers.

While the tournament is the focus, Lauinger is also looking forward to the post-competition hunting trip—a tradition for many of the participants. Hunting is heavily regulated in South Africa.

His experience in 2023 left a lasting impression.

“It’s very different from hunting over here in Canada,” he said. “You’re lucky if you’re deer hunting here and see a white tail, mule deer, maybe a moose. [But] there’s such a huge variety there. You could seriously see…at least 10 different kinds of antelope in a day.”

One photo from that trip shows him kneeling beside an antelope which serves as a reminder of just how far his bow has taken him.

“It was not something that I expected to do for sure,” he said. “I got invited in April that year… it was still very new to me, very unexpected. It was more of a surprise than anything.”

This time around, Lauinger feels more prepared not only in his skills, but in his understanding of what to expect.

“There’s a lot less surprises.”

And as he steps onto the world stage again, he carries not only his bow and his record-breaking scores, but also the pride of a small prairie town cheering him on from home.

“I wouldn’t be able to go without the fundraising and donations from the community, and it is really an honour,” he said.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com