Azad Hossain :
The Archery Training Academy in Tongi, Gazipur, is set to host the prestigious 2026 WAA President’s Challenge Cup & Joint Training Programme from 30 July to 2 August 2026. The event is jointly organised by the Bangladesh Archery Federation and World Archery Asia, with sponsorship from Mousumi Industries Limited (Cute).
The international event will welcome participants from 26 countries, bringing together elite archers, coaches, judges, technical officials, and sports administrators from across Asia and beyond. Seventeen nations will compete in the tournament, while nine additional countries will be represented by technical officials and special guests.
A total of 111 participants are expected, including 70 archers (38 men and 32 women, with 28 Under-18 competitors), 23 team officials, and 20 distinguished guests. All international delegations will be accommodated at the Dhaka Regency Hotel. To support the event, World Archery Asia has provided USD 43,926 in financial assistance.
The Joint Training Programme, running from 30 July to 1 August, will officially begin at 11:00 AM on 30 July. The opening ceremony will be attended by Mr. Md. Aminul Huq, State Minister for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, as the Chief Guest.
This marks the fourth time Bangladesh has hosted the Joint Training Programme, following successful editions in 2018, 2019, and 2021. This year’s programme has been expanded to include key areas of modern sports development, such as sports injury prevention, sports nutrition, sports psychology, anti-doping education, President’s Challenge Cup competition setup, and the newly introduced Under-18 development initiative.
The training programme will be led by Head Coach Mr. Martin Frederick (Germany), assisted by Deputy Coach Ms. Young Sook Park Sally (South Korea).
The President’s Challenge Cup will take place on 2 August, featuring six medal events: Recurve Men’s Individual, Recurve Women’s Individual, Under-18 Recurve Men’s Individual, Under-18 Recurve Women’s Individual, Recurve Mixed Team, and Under-18 Recurve Mixed Team. Competition will be conducted over 70-metre and 60-metre distances during the qualification and elimination rounds.
The tournament will be officiated by a panel of nine judges, including two international and seven local judges. Md. Golam Sarwar will serve as Chief Judge, while Md. Rafiq will act as Result In-charge.
Host nation Bangladesh will be represented by a 10-member delegation, comprising coaches Hira Moni and Md. Safayet Hossain, alongside senior archers Ram Krishna Saha, Seema Akter Shimu, Abdur Rahman Alif, and Nasrin Akter. The Under-18 squad includes Imtiaz Amin Fatemi Fuyad, Sayma Salah Uddin, Md. Saiful Islam, and Sonali Roy.
The Closing Ceremony is scheduled for 5:00 PM on 2 August at the Archery Training Academy in Gazipur. Training sessions and the tournament will be broadcast live by Channel i Limited, allowing audiences to follow the competition throughout the event.
Following the conclusion of the championship, all international delegations are scheduled to depart Bangladesh on 3 August 2026.
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