Record participation for Asian joint training programme held in Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Archery Federation hosted a five-day international joint training camp on 5-9 November in the capital city of Dhaka, which attracted 44 athletes and coaches from 10 Asian countries.

It is the first time such a camp has been held in Bangladesh, with previous such initiatives largely based in Chinese Taipei and Thailand. 

Bangladesh’s head coach Martin Frederick, who has been in the position since early 2018, led a programme that covered general archery skills, injury prevention, strength training, and equipment and tuning.

“I’m happy to be involved in such an international programme, to exchange experience and hopefully inspire future development,” said Frederick.

Athletes took part in a competition at the end of the weekend, which included a mixed nation mixed team event similar to that used at the Youth Olympic Games.

Joint training camps are part of World Archery Asia’s ambitious continental development plan, which also includes equipment support, technical assistance programmes, coaching and technical seminars, and judge conferences.

The Bangladesh Archery Federation General Secretary Kazi Rajib Chapol said that he hoped Dhaka would have the opportunity to host a future camp and that such programmes benefited Bangladeshi archers with increased experience before major competitions.