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When we get into the renewed Okmeydani site, first impression is quite striking. Municipality and local authorities delivered ideal conditions for archery practice. Besides the artificial turf field, a permanent tribune for up to 400 people, dressing rooms for athletes and judges, fitness and a 50m indoor shooting range, meeting rooms, offices, as well as an underground car park were added to this beautiful exclusive and dedicated archery facility.
The Conquest Cup is not an ordinary international archery competition; 29 May is a key date in the history of Turkish people and an official day-off in the Istanbul calendar. Huge posters with the competition announcement were displayed on several bridges of the city and Turkish flags flourish all around Okmeydani. Moreover, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN will attend and close this first challenge between Europe and Asia.
With the visit of the Prime Minister emphasises just how much local authorities, the Archery Foundation and the Turkish Archery Federation are very enthusiastic the importance of this event on 29 May 2013.
On the sports side, except Indian SARDAR – forfeit because of visa administrative issues – is replaced by Gunjan KUMARI (17 years old), youngest of the competition and 4th at the team event Youth World Championships in 2011, all selected athletes attended the invitation. After today’s training and as hosting continent, European coaches must designate athletes for the individual matches to determine the order of play. Each delegation must also provide the team’s composition. The 4th athlete in each gender that is not selected for the team matches will compete in an additional individual match. Mixed team matches will then follow. Each individual match win is awarded one point, team match wins are awarded two points and a mix team win is awarded three points.
Despite her vast experience and her impressive titles, triple Korean Olympic Champion YUN Mi-Jin (photo) “still enjoys a lot when participating in competitions and when meeting with other athletes”, she explained. “Even if this is an invitation competition, I want to win every match; my objective is to be back in the national team and to participate in the 2014 Asian Games”, added YUN.
Young Gaël PREVOST (FRA): “I am discovering the competition format and the venue facilities today like all athletes attending this event. For me, even if it is an invitational competition it will not change my shooting; I want to shoot the best possible arrows”, explained PREVOST. I also take Istanbul’s weather conditions into account as preparation for Antalya”, concluded PREVOST.
Tomorrow’s competition programme is as follows:
10:00, individual men’s match 1
10:14, individual women’s match 1
10:28, individual men’s match 2
10:42, individual women’s match 2
10:56, individual men’s match 3
11:10, individual women’s match 3
11:24, individual men’s match 4
11:38, individual women’s match 4
14:00, men’s team match
14:23, women’s team match
15:00, additional men’s team match (for the 4th athlete not selected for the team event)
15:14, additional women’s team match (for the 4th athlete not selected for the team event)
15:28, mixed team match 1
15:46, mixed team match 2
16:05, Award Ceremony
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