Pitman, Verma running for World Games athletes committee election at Chengdu 2025
British recurve woman Bryony Pitman and Indian compound man Abhishek Verma are among the 21 candidates standing for election to the International World Games Association‘s athletes committee.
The committee plays a key role in providing input on policy and promoting the interests of competitors across the World Games’ sports programme.
Voting is set to take place onsite during the during the upcoming edition of the multisport event, scheduled for 7 to 17 August 2025 in Chengdu, China. It will mark the first time athletes directly elect their representatives.
Verma was appointed to the inaugural athletes’ committee in 2023, having previously secured mixed team bronze medal at Wroclaw 2017 and finishing fourth individually at Birmingham 2022. The 35-year-old has served on World Archery’s athletes’ committee since 2021 and has been its deputy chair since 2023.
Pitman, who also competed at the last edition in Birmingham, also serves as the field archery representative on World Archery’s athletes’ committee, which has long championed athlete voices in international governance.
The World Archery family’s growing presence within the broader World Games movement was further underlined last year when secretary general Tom Dielen was elected vice president of the association that oversees the event – reinforcing the sport’s role in shaping international multisport competition.
Archery has featured at the World Games since 1985 and will return to the programme in Chengdu with both target (compound) and field (recurve and barebow) events. A total of seven medals will be awarded, with 100 archers qualified through a quota place process that began in early 2024.
More information about the athletes’ committee election, including the list of candidates and voting process, is available on the official website of the World Games.
