News

Archery’s decision makers meet for 54th congress in Yankton

17 September 2021

Yankton, South Dakota, USA

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Delegates at World Archery Congress in 2019.

More than 100 of World Archery’s member associations will be represented by in-person delegates or proxy when congress meets for the 54th time ahead of the Hyundai World Archery Championships in Yankton.

Congress is the governing body of the international federation, at which the sport’s rules are set or changed and officers are elected.

This year’s meeting is scheduled to take two days over 17-18 September 2021.

Significant governance changes, passed at the last congress in 2019, meaning that this will be the first time weighted votes are used, rather than each federation receiving a single vote.

The number of votes a nation has been allocated is dependent on an assessment of its activity.

Additional votes have been granted for holding (and registering) events at a domestic level, consistent and gender-balanced attendance at international competitions, and attendance at past congresses.

Decisions

Elections are being held for positions across World Archery’s committees and the executive board. (Except for the athletes’ committee, which will be elected by the archers at the championships that follow congress.)

Among those up for reelection is Prof Dr Ugur Erdener, who will stand unopposed for a fifth and final term as president.

A number of changes to the sport’s rules are being proposed. These include a move to reducing qualifying from 72 to 60 arrows, another to shrink the recurve target face at 70 metres to 100cm (rather than the current 122cm), and a third to introduce an 11-ring for compounds.

There is also a motion to officially change the names of the junior, cadet and master categories to under-21, under-18 and 50-plus – and one to add barebow to the outdoor world championships.

How to watch

The decision-making sessions of congress will be streamed live on World Archery’s corporate communications channel. The coverage is available at the following links.