Archery Compulsory Sport on Universiade Programme

Team Korea practicing

KAZAN – At the recent Extraordinary General Assembly in Kazan, Russia, the FISU Executive Committee announced the inclusion of archery into the compulsory sports programme of the Summer Universiade as of 2019 (decision taken in May 2012).

This is the result of a truly great relationship between World Archery and FISU. The first Archery University Games, an event organised in cooperation with FISU, to show the interest of University Sport in archery, were organised in 1993 and the current World Archery Secretary General Tom DIELEN was head of the organisation. The 1st World Archery University Championships started in 1996 in France under the leadership of the current FISU President Claude-Louis GALLIEN and were held bi-annually until now. The last edition will be held in 2016 since a sport that is part of the compulsory programme cannot have championships as well.

Archery has also already been successfully part of the Summer Universiade four times as an optional sport, i.e. in 2003 (Daegu), 2005 (Izmir), 2009 (Belgrade) and 2011 (Shenzhen) with some of its biggest stars participating. Olympic champions Viktor RUBAN (UKR) and PARK Sung-Hyung (KOR) have competed at Universiades. RUBAN won it in 2009 and PARK in 2003. Several other great names have competed at the Universiades such as double team Olympic champion and true star of archery IM Dong-Hyun (KOR), as well as world champions such as Braden GELLENTHIEN (USA), Sergio PAGNI (ITA) and Albina LOGINOVA (RUS) and just recently at the London Olympics, the podium was crowded with former SU archers as well i.e. BAE Ki Bo (KOR/Individual & Team gold), Aida Roman (MEX/Individual silver), Mauro Respoli (ITA/Team gold), Jacob Wukie (USA/Team silver), Hakawaya Ren, Kawanaka Kaori and Miki Kanie (JPN/Team bronze).

Aida Roman (MEX), silver and Ki Bo Bae (KOR), gold in women’s archery and former Shenzhen SU participants at the press conference in London (Photo: C. Pierre/FISU)

FISU Secretary General/CEO Eric SAINTROND said: “We would like to congratulate World Archery for this great achievement and for all the tremendous efforts that your federation is putting into the development of this sport at the university level. We do look forward to pursuing our close collaboration with World Archery in the near future and to continuing to work hand in hand to promote this sport actively among all the student-athletes of the world.”

World Archery Secretary General Tom DIELEN said: “It has been a long term effort and we are delighted that we succeeded in making archery a compulsory sport at the Universiades. We would like to thank the FISU Executive Committee for their support. This will help the development of archery in all aspects. I would like to thank the continuous efforts of our current President Prof Dr Ugur ERDENER, the Honorary President Mr James L. EASTON and our Event Director Mr Juan Carlos HOLGADO who is also acting as the FISU Archery Technical Delegate, a position I held before him. He competed at the World Archery University Games in 1993. I also would like to thank our board for their strong support in this endeavour and all the organisers and their volunteers who have been working relentlessly at the World Archery University Championships. This success is theirs!”

The 10th World Archery University Championships will take place in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium in 2014. Archery will be part of the Universiade in 2015 in Korea and in 2017 in Chinese Taipei as an optional sport before being compulsory in 2019.

(World Archery/FISU)