Idman.biz
"This year could be a turning point for Azerbaijani archery."
This opinion was voiced by Farid Khalilov, Secretary General of the Azerbaijan Archery Federation. He spoke to Idman.Biz about the organization's big plans, the possible participation of athletes in the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, selection for the European Games, and Olympic prospects.
He noted that within a week, the International Archery Federation (World Archery) should respond regarding the participation of Azerbaijani archers in the Youth Games to be held in October.
"The selection tournament was held in Canada, but due to visa problems, it was not possible to send our team there. Also, getting to Dakar was possible either through one of the tournaments held abroad or by organizing our own start with results approved by the International Archery Federation. As a result, we held the "Victory" competition, to which an international judge was invited, and the participants fulfilled the accepted standard. Two quotas are being considered - among boys and girls. We should receive an answer soon. But as we know, African countries are in a more advantageous position, since this continent will host the Youth Olympic Games. And for other countries, the number of licenses is much smaller. But we hope and await the answer," said F. Khalilov.
The Secretary General of the Federation also announced the start of the selection stage for the 2027 European Games, which will be held in Istanbul in two months. Athletes will compete for quotas at the European Championship in Antalya from May 18-24.
"The selection mechanism has not yet been fully determined, but we will receive the relevant regulations in the near future. In general, the peak of the season will fall in May. In addition to the continental championship, the Congress of the European Federation will also be held, and Baku will host a meeting of "SportAccord", led by Honorary President of the International Archery Federation, Ugur Erdenener. Thus, May will be rich in many works and projects," said F. Khalilov.
He added that in the near future, three venues will operate simultaneously for archers' training. One of them will be at the Azerbaijan Medical University, and there are also plans to create a special base where athletes can improve their skills.
"There has been a large influx of young people. The new archers also performed well at the European Championship in Plovdiv - Fatima Huseynli took fifth place. We have not had such a result in the last 30 years. The team showed itself, and it is necessary to continue the work," said F. Khalilov.
The Secretary General also stated that the federation is continuing to work on the calendar.
"We have an approved action plan that covers the competitions in which we plan to participate. We are currently discussing the feasibility of participating in some World Cup stages. Considering that a number of stages are attended by first-class stars, which are difficult for our archers to compete with for now, we are considering the option of holding training camps. We are working on optimizing the calendar," concluded F. Khalilov.
