Disabled Archery USA

FITA and IPC Promote Archery for All

August 20, 2004

Athens, Greece (IPC) - Today, the International Archery Federation (FITA) President Jim Easton and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Phil Craven signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Athens, Greece. Dr. Jacque Rogge, announcing that the IOC was very pleased about the agreement, hosted the signing in his office in the Olympic Family Hotel.

Said Mr. Easton: "Since Archery was one of the sports to be practiced in Stoke Mandeville, FITA is pleased to be co-operating with the IPC to promote more Archery among athletes with a disability and able-bodied athletes. It is worth mentioning that a wheelchair archer competed in the 1984 and 1996 Olympic Games."

The IPC and FITA will collaborate to bring together archers with and without a disability whenever possible. The respective competition calendars will be cross-promoted and the IPC Archery rankings and records will be promoted by FITA. The IPC will use FITA rules with slight adoptions at IPC sanctioned competitions and will co-operate with FITA to develop a plan for educational programmes about IPC Archery for technical delegates and coaches.

"It is a pleasure to set the seal on IPC relations with FITA, as Archery was one of eight sports contested at the first Paralympics in Rome in 1960. The MoU lays down some guidelines for co-operation, which will certainly have an impact on the growth of the sport," commented Mr. Craven.

FITA will work with the IPC to develop a plan to encourage the worldwide growth of Archery for athletes with a disability and the Paralympic Movement through an on-going awareness campaign targeting the FITA Member Associations and FITA Continental.