New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) Archery Association of India (AAI) on Monday announced the first-of-its-kind Archery League, bringing together men and women recurve and compound archers from India and the world, who will be competing in a franchise-styled tournament.

The inaugural edition of the league is expected to take place over a 11-day period in October this year at the Yamuna Sports Complex, New Delhi. It has received encouragement from World Archery, World Archery Asia and the Sports Ministry of India.

The league will feature foreign archers from among the world’s top 10, along with top Indian archers who will all be representing six franchise teams.

With an unique team setup never seen before in world archery, recurve & compound archers shooting 70m and 50m, respectively, together under lights, the league will boost the confidence of Indian archers and raise their performance level.

Archery Association of India president Arjun Munda said, “The dream envisioned by us is the dream that has lived for many years in every young archer residing across villages of India. They have been hoping to get an opportunity to showcase their skills on the biggest stage.

“We are confident that with the help of the Archery League, we will be able to fulfil these dreams and provide more opportunities. Let us all join hands to launch this league for archery so that we can take the sport to the next level in the country.”

Secretary General of the Archery Association of India,Virendra Sachdeva added, “Indian archers have consistently brought pride to the nation with their remarkable performances on the international stage. Their continued success is a testament to their talent, hard work, and the growing standard of Indian archery.

“Inspired by the transformative impact of leagues in other sports, we have introduced, Archery league, a platform with a highly competitive, greater visibility and bringing the professional standards, to prepare our archers for the ultimate stage, the Olympics. This is more than just a league, it’s a stepping stone toward India’s Olympic dream.”

Secretary General of World Archery Tom Dielen said, “I am very pleased with this initiative because it will add to the impact of our sport and create an atmosphere of competitive spirit for Indian archers as well as other archers coming from outside of India to enhance their performance and become even better archers in future.”

The league aims to enhance the growth of Indian archers to support the nation’s Olympic movement and to enhance the global popularity of the sport. It aims to be a professional platform that strengthens the overall archery ecosystem across India and the world.

The tournament will offer a chance to Indian archers to gain exposure in a high-pressure environment competing with international archers, thus advancing their growth.

–IANS

bc/ab