30 April 2009 - 3rd National Archery Championships in Nepal

3rd National Archery Championships in Nepal Nepal – 30 April 2009                                                                                     The National Sports Council of Nepal organised its 5th National Games 2009. The games included 34 sports and were officially declared open by the first President of Nepal Mr Rambaran YADAV on 6 April 2009 and concluded on 12 April on a great success. The President of the Nepal Archery Association (NAA) Mr Laxman SHRESTHA was the Chief Coordinator of the Organising Committee for this event. At this occasion, the NAA took the opportunity of hosting the 3rd National Archery Championships from 7-9 April 2009.   The first President of the Federal Democratic Republic Nepal Mr Rambaran YADAV addressed the athletes during the opening ceremony of the 5th National Games 2009. He was accompanied by the Minister for Youth and Sports Mr Gopal Man SHAKYA and the Member Secretary of the National Sports Council (NSC) and General Secretary of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) Mr Jeewan Ram SHRESTHA.   The Minister for Youth and Sports Mr Gopal Man SHAKYA (centre) presented the prizes to the Recurve Women winners Sunil GHALE, 15, was the youngest archer in the Bamboo Bow Men event   Mr Gopal Man SHAKYA was the Chief Guest during the final event and kindly consented to give away the prizes to the winners of the recurve women division who participated for the first time in an archery competition in Nepal. In total 59 archers took part in these archery championships in the following categories:   Ø Recurve Men (Double 70m): 16 participants Ø Recurve Women (50m, 30m): 12 participants Ø Bamboo Bow Men (50m, 30m): 24 participants Ø Bamboo Bow Women (30m): 7 participants (individual event only)   As the women took part for the first time in these national championships and due to lack of proper equipment, they only shot at distances of 50m and 30m. The national federation hopes that their female archers, with practice and better equipment, will eventually be able to progress to the 70m standard distance.   Mr Dipak Raj GURUNG NAA General Secretary Edited FITA Communication