Honours
World Archery recognises exceptional service to the sport.
Every two years, delegates at World Archery Congress recognise the exceptional service of individuals to the success of the sport by presenting institutional awards or giving honorary positions to officials who have distinguished themselves as officers of World Archery.
Athletes, coaches and judges are also recognised through the annual World Archery Awards.
These trophies are voted on by the public, members of the media and the executive board. They include the title of athlete of the year, coach of the year and breakthrough of the year.
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Institutional awards
Gold, silver and bronze plaquettes are presented to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to international archery from inside the community. Gold and silver plaquettes are awarded by congress. Bronze plaquettes are awarded by member associations, with the approval of the executive committee, to recognise individuals within their own countries.
The Golden Arrow Award is presented to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to supporting or growing international archery but who are not necessarily from inside the community. Created in 1997, the award is presented by the executive board.
The Gender Equity Award recognises to individuals who have made affirmative action in ensuring fairness across genders and is presented at each congress, and the Equal Opportunities Award recognises federations that make significant progress towards gender parity and is presented at each congress held int he year after the Olympic Games. Created in 2009 and updated in 2023, the award is presented by the gender equity committee.
Honorary officers
Paul Paulsen was a member of World Archery’s executive board from 1993 to 2011, serving as vice president from 2003 and first vice president from 2005.
He was responsible for the federation’s environmental policies and attended several conferences organised by the International Olympic Committee.
Paul served as president of the Norwegian archery federation and was a teacher by profession. He was awarded a gold plaquette for services to archery in 2011.
Chung Mong-Koo was chair of the Asian archery association for 11 years and chair of the Korean archery association for 12 years. He was made an honorary vice president of World Archery in 2011.
The chair of Hyundai Motor Group until 2020, when he was named honorary chair, Chung Mong-Koo received the Van Fleet award for contributions to the promotion of USA-Korea relations in 2009.
Sanguan Kosavinta was vice president of World Archery from 2005 to 2021. He was awarded with a silver plaquette and made an honorary vice president upon his retirement.
He competed for the Thai national archery team between 1975 and 1980, became a board member of the Thai Olympic Committee in 1985 and was made first vice president of World Archery Asia in 2003. He became president of the Thai archery federation in 2005.
Gao Zhidan was a member of the executive board of World Archery from 2003 to 2019. He was named an honorary member at the end of his fourth term.
During his time on the board, he was China’s deputy sports minister and vice president of the Chinese Olympic Committee.
Klaus Schulz served as a member of the judges committee from 1985 to 1991, a member of the constitution and rules committee from 1991 to 2011 and its chair from 1995 to 2007, and a member of the executive board of World Archery from 1991 to 2003.
He is considered the father of the modern World Archery Rulebook and its format of laws and bylaws. He was also a technical official at the Olympic Games in 1992 and technical delegate in 1996 and 2000.
Klaus was a teacher by profession. He was awarded a gold plaquette for services to archery in 2001.
Ann Webb was chair of the International Paralympic Committee’s archery committee and World Archery’s ad-hoc committee for para archery from 2005 to 2009, driving the transfer in governance of para archery from the International Paralympic Committee to World Archery, which was completed in 2009.
Dr Emin Ergen was a member of the medical and sports science committee from 2001 to 2017, and its chairman from 2007. He was made honorary chair of the committee upon his retirement as a World Archery officer in 2017.
As well as overseeing studies into the effects of beta blockers and alcohol on archery performance, and injury characteristics and prevention strategies in archers, in his role for the federation, he also represented the sport in wider studies across the Olympic movement.
He is a passionate sportsperson and former member of the Turkish national hurdle team who pioneered sports medicine in Turkey, Italy, Great Britain and the Middle East.