Medellin awarded 2027 World Archery Championships – first-ever in South America

Medellin has been named as host of the 2027 World Archery Championships, which is expected to act as the primary qualifier for the LA28 Olympics, and the 2027 World Archery Congress. The Colombian city will become the first in South America to welcome the sport’s premier international event.

The appointment was made during World Archery’s executive board meeting today in Antalya.

“Archery is truly a global sport. After a decade of substantial, sustained growth and experience hosting international events in South America, it is fitting that the board has decided to award our banner championships to the region for the very first time,” said World Archery president Prof Dr Ugur Erdener.

“Congratulations to the bid team in Colombia and the hosts of all our newly awarded championships.”

Medellin was selected ahead of submissions from Nyborg (Denmark) and Wroclaw (Poland).

A bid from Antalya was withdrawn ahead of the meeting. The Turkish coastal city was awarded the 2027 World Archery Youth Championships.

Gwangju (Korea) will hold the 2025 World Archery Para Championships and the 2024 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final will return to Tlaxcala for the second time in three years, the Mexican city last having hosted the annual circuit’s grand finale in 2022.

The bidding process for the 2027 World Archery Para Championships will be reopened.

The city of Medellin first hosted a stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in 2013 and has since featured as a stop in seven seasons. It will host the Pan American Championships in 2024.

In 2027, Colombia will become only the fourth country in the Americas – and the first in South America – to host the championships, after the USA (Valley Forge 1969, Los Angeles 1983, New York 2003, Yankton 2021), Canada (Victoria 1997) and Mexico (Mexico City 2015).

The bid focuses on the Rionegro region, near the airport, and the creation of a large combination venue with increased arena scheduling.

A working group on events was also formed during the executive board meeting. Consisting of board members, experienced organisers and external experts, the group’s mandate is to study future tournament formats, sustainability and financial viability in line with World Archery’s strategic plan.

Member associations in Chad, Guinea and Uzbekistan were issued a warning and will not be permitted to compete internationally until they are in good standing. This will also apply to Nigeria if the situation does not change before 1 April 2024.

The Kuwait federation was removed from the list of members that could be expelled in 2024 having successfully completed the action plan approved by delegates at congress in July.

The board also reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring archery remains independent from politics, following a discussion of the outcomes of the recent Olympic Summit. 

“My thanks go to my colleagues on the board for a meeting that has seen our sport take another step towards World Archery’s vision in which archery is available to practise and enjoy in every country around the globe,” said Prof Dr Erdener.

“Our appreciation also goes to the Turkish archery federation for their hospitality in Antalya. We look forward to returning in June for the final qualifier to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”

The next executive board meeting is scheduled for mid-2024.