COVID-19 UPENDS INTERNATIONAL ARCHERY, EVERYTHING ELSE

The world of sport – hobby, club, national and international – has ground to a halt across the globe, with many countries under severe restrictions to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that emerged in

China at the end of 2019 and is still spreading throughout the world.

With no sure end date in sight for the outbreak, the archery world has seen dozens of tournaments cancelled all over the world, and the Olympic Games has been suspended to 2021 (see page 8 for many more details). High profile casualties include the Olympic qualifiers in Oceania and the Pan-american Championships, as well as the first World Cup stage of the year in Guatemala.

Many competitions and championships had been building towards the Olympic Games scheduled for July and August, which was finally officially postponed on the 24th March until 2021. The fate of the regional championships is unknown at present.

Officially, World Archery has suspended all international events until the 30th April, however, the events scheduled for May, including the European Championships, look almost certain not to go ahead. A decision on the archery World Cup stage in Berlin, scheduled for June, will be taken at a later date, depending on the global situation.

World Archery president Prof Dr Ugur Erdener said: “It is clear that the COVID-19 outbreak is much more serious than first thought and our focus should be on overcoming this worldwide health crisis as quickly and completely as possible.”

“We’re proud of the archery community and how it is responding to this adversity. So please stay safe, look after each other and let’s get back on track as soon as we can.”

World Archery and PSE have signed a four-year agreement lasting until 2023 that will see the federation and manufacturer partner on improving access to compound archery worldwide, with particular emphasis on expanding the compound side of the sport in Asia.

The collaboration focuses on developing a comprehensive grassroots programme.

As part of the agreement, PSE will receive exposure at international events and on World Archery’s digital properties.

PSE owner Pete Shepley said: “There is huge potential for growth in regions of the world where compound archery is still relatively unknown and in strengthening programmes that are currently on offer. This new partnership is focused on unlocking that potential.”