17 July 2006 - From Football to Archery in Germany

From Football to Archery in Germany

Lausanne - 17 July 2006

The last Football World Cup has been a success for the German team and for the worldwide fans attending the event. Two aspects the German Archery Federation (DSB) is keen on repeating for the Archery World Championships next year.

The link between football and archery became quite evident when the German football team enjoyed an archery shooting practice during their training. Hosted by the Sportclub of Blau-Weiss Berlin, under the lead of national coach Martin Frederik (photo) and part of the German archery team, Michael Ballack, Miroslav Klose and cie had not only fun but some useful training about mental focus, precision and goal reaching. “Archery is a sport when you need 100 percent concentration” told Joachim Low assistant coach of Juergen Klinsmann. The German team went on to defeat Argentina on penalty shots before losing against Italy in the semi-final.

Will the history repeat itself in about one year when Leipzig will host the 44th World Outdoor Target Archery Championships from July 5 – 15, 2007 ? According to the German Federation a place in the semi-final would also be perceived as a great success. Surely the Federation wants to welcome the archers and fans from football/archery countries such as Italy, France, Ukraine, Switzerland, Japan and Korea, Mexico, Brazil or others as well as the Football World Cup in 2006.

With another preparative meeting in Wyhl this week, the organizers are already working hard to be a successful host !

Photos and more news on : www.schuetzenbund.de

Didier Miéville

FITA Communication