Bullseye - Sale man leads visually-impaired archers to victory

David Poyner, from Sale, is a member of Blind Veterans UK Bowmen, a team made up of ex-service personnel.

They enjoyed what was described as a closely fought contest against Thorpe Hamlet Archery Club and were victorious by 70 points.

The contest took place in Norwich and David said the two teams have been competing against each other for nearly 15 years.

He said: "It really was a close match which shows that visually-impaired archers can compete and win against able-bodied opponents.

"We've arranged this archery shoot for a few years now. I have always been a competitive person and since being supported by Blind Veterans UK and being introduced to vision impaired archery I've been able to keep that competitive edge."

Graham Harris of Thorpe Hamlet Archery Club said: "I was already aware of the brilliant work David and Blind Veterans UK were doing with the sport and got in touch with them straight away."

David, who served in the Royal Navy, was introduced to archery in 1998 after losing his sight.

He has successfully campaigned to have archery introduced into the Paralympics for people who aren't completely blind but are unable to see the target.

Sight loss is no barrier to people competing in archery

David said: "We have what 's called a back of the hand tactile sight which you place on the back of your bow hand."

He said one of the reasons why he enjoys archery so much is because it's a technical sport.

David, 57, said: "It's not just a case of pointing a bow and shooting an arrow. There's a lot more to it than that. It's a very rewarding sport and it can be as competitive as you want it to be. It's also a friendly sport."

His Royal Navy service saw him see the world and he visited everywhere from Australia to the Seychelles.

* For David to achieve his Paralympic sporting dream he needs enough competitors from around the world to take part. Anyone interested in finding out more should email chair@bbsarchery.org.uk.