With the World Games heading to Birmingham, Alabama, early next month, the ATA encourages the industry to join in-person or tune in live during the archery competition scheduled for July 7 to July 15. The ATA, whose strong partnership with Alabama’s Fish & Wildlife agency has been in place for years, is excited for the state to receive global recognition for hosting the Games.
“The ATA and Alabama have a long-standing relationship to grow and promote archery and bowhunting,” Jennifer Mazur, senior director of outreach and education for the ATA, said. “Alabama stands as an example of what other states can do to increase participation in the sport.”
The ATA has invested over $160,000 into the range development of 20 archery parks working with Alabama’s Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries Division and hosted an archery academy in Birmingham to train over 30 park and volunteer staff, an additional $25,000 investment. The ATA has also outfitted five community centers with equipment to teach the sports of archery and bowhunting locally.
The ATA’s community park concept was born in Alabama and has since been implemented nationwide. USA Archery, Archery Shooters Association and Scholastic 3-D Archery have all consistently hosted national tournaments in the state. Notably, Foley, Alabama, has been home to ASA’s national tournament for years. Later this month, June 20 to June 24, the Junior Olympic Archery Development Target Nationals will be held in Decatur, Alabama, which has also previously hosted the USA Archery Outdoor Nationals. Additionally, the ATA’s recognition of the state’s commitment to the National Archery in the Schools Program and building accessible archery parks within multi-use recreational spaces prompted further industry support, bringing an elevated awareness and increasing participation in the sport.
“With these partnerships and programs in place, it is fitting for the sport of archery that Birmingham is the site of the World Games,” Mazur continued. “It's important for the industry to prove popularity on a global level."
Here's why it’s important for the industry to support the games:
Proving popularity in Birmingham could play an important role in elevating the interest of entering compound archery into the 2028 Olympics, which are set to be held in Los Angeles. Compound archers compete on a global level at World Cup events annually but are unable to participate in the Olympic Games. Currently, recurve archers are the only athletes that can compete at the Olympic level. Recently, skateboarding and surfing were added to the games due to the popularity of those two sports, which proved themselves during their appearances at the X Games and Pan Am Games.
The archery events at the 2022 World Games begin on Thursday, July 7, and conclude on Friday, July 15.
To get your in-person tickets for the archery event, click here. The event will also be broadcasted on the Olympic Channel. A livestream link will able be available at a later date.
Please contact Allison Jasper, senior director of marketing and communications, at allisonjasper@archerytrade.org or (507) 233-8136 with questions.
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