2022 WORLD ARCHERY PARA CHAMPIONSHIPS
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Dubai 2022 went ahead and triumphed despite a war breaking out halfway through. The name of the venue, the Dubai Club For People Of Determination, said a lot. One thing all para-athletes need is enormous reserves of will and determination, and these qualities were most definitely on display.
More than 200 archers from 40 nations made it to the UAE for the competition. One of the biggest shocks occurred immediately before the championships, when it was announced that the Chinese team had pulled out, citing COVID-19 issues. Given how China dominated at the Paralympics in Tokyo – topping the medal table and making seven of the nine podiums – this was a seismic shock. It’s like the Korean archery team not turning up to the Olympics. The country has put immense resources into parasport over the past two decades and there are more than 30 national sports training camps throughout the country, where some estimates put the disabled population as high as 85 million.
Dubai also has a rich history of investment in parasport and the Fazza tournament held here is one of the most popular archery events on the international calendar. The venue is custom-designed, with no stairs anywhere and full catering (one of the bigger
