“This year could mark a turning point for Azerbaijani archery,” said Farid Khalilov, secretary-general of the Azerbaijan Bow Archery Federation, in an exclusive interview with İdman.Biz. Khalilov discussed the federation’s ambitious plans, athletes’ potential participation in the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, selections for the European Games, and long-term Olympic prospects.
He noted that within a week, the World Archery Federation is expected to confirm Azerbaijan’s archers’ qualification for the Youth Olympic Games in October.
“The selection tournament was supposed to be held in Canada, but due to visa issues, we could not send our team. Participation in Dakar could also be arranged via results from an international tournament or through approval from World Archery. As a result, we organized the ‘Zəfər’ competition with an international judge invited, and the participants met the required standards. Two quotas are being considered—one for boys and one for girls. We expect a response soon. However, we understand that African countries have priority, as the continent will host the Youth Olympic Games. The number of quotas available for other countries is limited, but we remain hopeful,” Khalilov emphasized.
The secretary-general also revealed that the selection process for the 2027 European Games in Istanbul will begin in two months. Athletes will compete for quotas at the European Championship in Antalya from May 18 to 24.
“The selection mechanism has not been fully finalized yet, but we will soon receive the relevant regulations. Overall, May will be the peak of the season. In addition to the continental championship, the European Federation Congress will take place, and Baku will host the SportAccord meeting led by Uğur Arda, the honorary president of World Archery. Thus, May will be packed with activities and projects,” Khalilov said.
He added that in the near future, three training venues will operate simultaneously for archers, including one at Azerbaijan Medical University, with plans to establish a dedicated base to further develop athletes’ skills.
“There is a strong influx of young athletes. New archers performed well at the European Championship in Plovdiv—Fatimə Huseynli finished fifth. We haven’t had such a result in 30 years. The team has proven itself, and we need to continue this work,” Khalilov noted.
Finally, he confirmed that the federation continues to refine its competition calendar.
“We have a confirmed plan covering the tournaments we aim to participate in. Currently, we are discussing the feasibility of joining certain World Cup stages. Considering that top-level competitors dominate some of these events, making it challenging for our archers to compete, we are evaluating the possibility of holding training camps instead. We are actively working on optimizing the calendar,” Khalilov concluded.
