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For the last three weeks, you’ve received the equivalent of an out-of-office reply from this newsletter. Here’s why.
In Madrid, while waiting for my son to shoot in the gold medal match at the 2019 World Archery Youth Championships, I made a passing comment to the other Manitoba parents of Team Canada archers that Winnipeg could host this massive event. “Never going to happen…” came numerous replies.
That event that was never going to happen… just did. Winnipeg hosted the 2025 World Archery Youth Championships from Aug. 18 to 24. We held qualifications and elimination matches at Winnipeg South End United Soccer Club’s fields on Taylor Avenue and semifinals, bronze and gold medal matches at The Forks.
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When I returned home from Madrid in 2019, I started making calls. The first was to Tourism Winnipeg, where I met with the charming Annie Henry, who at the time was in charge of evaluating event proposals for the Sports Entertainment Tourism Fund, which uses hotel tax from city hotels to promote the city for future events. Annie signed on right away.
Mexico’s Melissa Robles and Ian Vite Flores celebrate winning the bronze medal in their under-18 mixed team compound match Saturday, Aug. 23. (World Archery)
Armed with that knowledge, I approached Archery Manitoba — I was vice-president at the time — and Archery Canada, which both also quickly signed on. So began six years of planning. With Tourism Winnipeg’s help, we crafted the bid document to present to World Archery and in January of 2022 learned we had won the bid.
By the time the final deadline for registrations arrived July 27, 2025, we had 571 archers from 64 countries registered. Then the Air Canada strike hit. Air Canada began phasing out operations on the Thursday prior to our event beginning. Teams were scheduled to arrive between then and the Sunday prior. On Thursday, the only teams in town were Sri Lanka and Ukraine: both arrived quite early. “Well, I guess Sri Lanka and Ukraine are winning all the medals,” I said jokingly.
Great Britain’s Alex Sillitoe Price celebrates his gold medal in the under-18 recurve men category. (World Archery)
The tales of perseverance were heartwarming: Georgia landed in Toronto just as Air Canada shut down entirely. The team drove, taking the longer but more scenic route across the top of Lake Superior. Team manager Lasha Pkhakadze told me the drive was long, but worth it. “Such a beautiful country.” Turkey landed in Vancouver and chartered a bus. Three countries landed in Minneapolis, also chartering buses. Some American archers could get as far as Fargo and then drove.
In the end, we welcomed 489 archers, enough to make it a true world championship. We presented 120 medals, including my favourite, arguably, to Great Britain’s Alex Sillitoe Price, who claimed the gold medal in recurve under-18 men category in his first World Archery Youth Championships. He’s a favourite to return in Turkey in 2027 and a fine young man, as well.
Our event was a major boost to the city’s economy: we contracted with eight hotels, ate fabulous lunches from Wow Catering, hosted a World of Archery gala event at the Fort Garry Hotel and presented our city in its finest light. The display of sportsmanship, the dissolution of political differences and the camaraderie between far-flung nations were impressive.
Our volunteers, too numerous to name individually, deserve the highest compliments for their hard work.
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