Delhi to host Asian Archery Para Championships after Kazakhstan expresses inability due to Ukraine war

Kolkata: India will host the Asian Archery Para Championships from 31 May to 6 June after Kazakhstan expressed its inability to stage the event, citing organisational issues because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The championships will be held at the Yamuna Sports Complex in Delhi. Confirming the development, Archery Association of India secretary general Pramod Chadurkar told PTI: “The tournament will now be held at the Yamuna Sports Complex, New Delhi. “Kazakhstan expressed their inability to host the tournament because of the current crisis and we readily sent out proposals,” Chandurkar, who is also a member of the executive committee of World Archery Asia, said on Wednesday. Kazakhstan, which shares its borders with Russia, conveyed its decision to World Archery Asia two weeks back. “This will be held in the same window so the respective countries will just have to alter their travel plans,” Chadurkar said. “There is less time but we are ready to support them. There will be some organisational challenges but with our technical resources we will pull it off.” The new national federation under Arjun Munda is also pitching in for three more international tournaments before the end of February next year. “The AAI is planning an invitational international event in Madhya Pradesh, another by Tata later this year, while the junior Asia Cup is planned in February next year. But all these events are at the planning stage, nothing is confirmed yet,” an official said. The last big International event in archery was the CWG 2010, and the country also hosted the Commonwealth Championships in the same year. India had organised Asian Archery Championships thrice — the last being in New Delhi in 2005. Kolkata hosted the event in 1980 and 1988. At the last edition of Asian Para Archery Championships in Bangkok in 2019, the Indian para archers participated under the ‘World Archery’ banner as the national body was de-recognised then. They won one gold, one silver and one bronze. Vivek Chikara (recurve men open) clinched the gold, while Shyam Sundar Swami and Jyoti Baliyan (compound open mixed team) won a silver. India had won a bronze through recurve men open team of Rajesh, Harvinder Singh and Chikara. Indian para archers have been doing well in the international events in the recent past. At the Tokyo Paralympics last year, Harvinder Singh clinched a historic bronze. India para archers also won their first ever medals in the Para World Championships when Pooja Jatyan and Shyam Sundar Swami returned with a silver each. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.