IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
FOR THE ATTENTION OF ALL NATIONAL OFFICIALS, MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, SECRETARIES OF REGIONAL & DISTRICT ASSOCIATIONS, SA STUDENTS SPORTS ASSOCIATION (SASSU), UNITED SCHOOLS SPORTS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA (USSASA), DISABLED SPORT SOUTH AFRICA (DISSA), SPORT & RECREATION SOUTH AFRICA (SRSA), SA SPORT & OLYMPIC CONFEDERATION (SASCOC), PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENTS OF SPORT, NATIONAL & REGIONAL MEDIA & OTHER ORGANISATIONS ON THE MAILING LIST

The 2005 season promises to be one of the most exciting one’s for our sport, darts. Building on the Outcomes reached by its successful, introspective “A Focus on our Future” National Summit (held in April thiis year), Darts South Africa (DSA) will launch a 4-year Action Plan in 2005. The Action Plan focuses on a number of key areas important to a sustainable good future for darts in our country.   Over the years, passion and dedication have been the foundation and strength behind the organizing and playing of darts in all parts of our country. We recognize the value of that work and encourage it to continue in that spirit. But there is a need to deal with the challenges of the day and to introduce changes that will benefit the game and all its many players and supporters and for darts to add its contribution towards South Africa’s sporting success.

The Action Plan consists of four main initiatives,

1. OPERATION BULLS-EYE

This national development plan is upgraded to focus on core projects aimed at: 

• intensifying our efforts to introduce darts into urban and rural communities with LET’S PLAY DARTS projects,
• involving more colleges and universities (SASSU),
• engaging schools through an ADOPT-A-SCHOOL plan (USSASA),
• encouraging involvement from DISSA structures,
• improving playing excellence in our AIMING FOR TOPS programme,
• growing volunteer involvement particularly at youth levels, 
• promoting good administration skills with the introduction of a training project, RAP (Responsible Administration Plan),
• providing darts-specific technical and management training courses... 

   The main objectives are:

• To grow membership numbers by 30%
• To accelerate transformation
• To launch Youth Leagues throughout the country
• To develop suitably qualified darts-specific coaches and match officials
• To promote good governance at all levels of the sport
• To improve our current international ranking from 16^th to 8^th position.

2. GRADING OF COMPETITIONS

• In preparation for the introduction of a National Ranking System and to encourage playing excellence, a Competition Grading System for all events is under consideration.

3. CLASSICS CIRCUIT

• Responding to the call for another quality national event that can be played in all areas, that will encourage and recognize playing excellence, that will open opportunities for gaining organizing experience and that will boost public interest, a proposal to launch a National Circuit of Classics for Men and Women is also under consideration.

4. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The annual National Championships is the premier event of the local darts calendar attracting entries from all regions and district associations.  There is a proposal to re-structure the Event with the aims of:

• raising the competitive challenge in all events,
• improving the organisation and presentation styles of the event to new levels of expertise
• making participation more affordable,
• reducing the present demand for a large playing area that restricts playing the event to a few large indoor venues and excludes those areas that do not have suitable venues.

We launch an ambitious Action Plan that is similar in many respects to the work being done in Australia, India, the Netherlands and many other World Darts Federation countries.  It is only the beginning of a number of projects we are planning for the future. The overall intention is to put South African darts into good shape.   The success of the Action Plan will require building partnerships with member associations, with SASSU, with USSASA and with DISSA. We will also strengthen our interest in the corporate sector particularly with government departments, SA Police, SA Correctional Services, SA Mines, and Defence Force etc.

OPERATION BULLS-EYE will invite the involvement of training expertise offered by national and provincial government and other independent agencies.  Funding is an important requirement and we are hoping for positive replies from the funding sources who have been approached or who will be approached in the New Year.  We anticipate project launches from April 2005 and continuing throughout the year,  DSA Development Director, Charles Jonker (telephone/fax. 021 862 0583 cell 082 7258764), assisted by national officials, Graham Stark, Mervyn Johnson & Reg Naidoo (administration & technical) and Patricia Conyngham & Sharon Khan (Girls & Women), will lead the Operation Bullseye initiative. The Development Officers of participating associations will organise projects in their respective areas with support from their local President/National Executive member. The tasks are challenging but exciting and achievable and we will all enjoy our darts as we grow and upgrade our sport in all departments.

We are delighted to announce that SASSU National Office have agreed to work with us and this partnership will undoubtedly lead to an increase in the number of colleges and universities who play darts as a formal campus sport. 

For further information, please contact Charles Jonker or Mervyn Johnson.

Mervyn Johnson
BUSINESS MANAGER/PRO

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