OLD Basing teenage archer Jacob Caine has been selected for Great Britain at the European Indoor Championships in Vittel, France, which starts tomorrow.

The 14-year-old from Hatch Lane in Old Basing, will compete in the Junior Men’s Compound Team (under 21).

It is a rapid rise to the top for the Costello student.

He started shooting aged 10 with Old Basing Archers at the village recreation ground, quickly taking up the compound bow.

The teenager entered local and national tournaments and was soon snapped up to represent Hampshire.

For the past two years Caine has won the Archery GB Junior National Championships for his age group, and also competed against adults in the Archery GB National Series at shoots around the country, gaining master bowman status.

At the UK National Indoor Championships he managed an amazing 120/120 in the adult division, shooting against the best archers in the UK, Europe and the USA.

Jacob is one of only a few to achieve this perfect score.

More recently, he shot in Stage 3 of the Indoor Archery World Cup in Nimes, France against some of the best under 21s in the world.

He qualified 14th out of 62, progressing to the head-to-head competition and finally finished in ninth place, being knocked out by the second Seed.

To gain selection, Caine shot three qualifying scores on an indoor round above 579/600 during a three month window.

“It’s very exciting to have been selected to represent GB,” said Caine. “The thought of competing at that level against some of the top archers in the world is just brilliant.”

As well as shooting every day, the teenager follows a gym routine developed by the GB coaches to work on core and upper body strength. He also attends team days with the GB coaches in Lilleshall in Shropshire, the home of Archery GB.

Geoff McCann, chairman of Old Basing Archers, said: “It’s fantastic for Jacob to have been selected, and well deserved. He’s been an enthusiastic and dedicated member of the club and is proof that hard work really does pay off. We are all very proud of him.”