Archery in Egypt: from Pioneering to Deterioration
How did the archery sport start? And how the Egyptian youth took it to another level?
If you will ask anyone about their favourite athletic hobby or sport, their answers will be around (swimming, football, basketball, etc…) which means all the popular sports.
But did you get to know that there is a unique sport with a lot of benefits and a spectacular history called Archery?
Archery is the sport or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows. The word comes from the Latin arcus, meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In modern times, it is mainly a competitive sport and recreational activity. A person who practices archery is typically called an archer, bowman, or toxophilite.
Egypt began to participate in the Archery champions in 2002. However, the origin and the birth of Archery was here in Egypt since the ancient Egyptians. Over the years, Egypt is the 1st placed country all over the continent (Africa). Whilst Korea is the pioneer of the game internationally, Then comes America afterwards. Ibrahim Sabry is an Egyptian archer who participated in the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore. He won the gold medal in the boys' event, defeating Rick van den Oever of the Netherlands in the final
Archery, which comes from the Latin word “arcus”, was first practised in Egypt around 2800 BC; the bow used back then was made from wood and tipped with an animal horn, it was at least two times bigger than today’s bow and required two people to string it.
After thousands and thousands of years have passed, we met with a young, hopeful, Egyptian Archer, Yasmeen Samy, who holds the same admiration for the sport just like her ancestors did, to break down archery s current state in the Egyptian sports scene, which is –sadly- often ignored.
Who is Yasmine Samy
Yasmeen Samy, a 19-year-old Archer who has been practising archery for almost 8 years, started her journey in early 2015, when she decided to pursue archery, the first sport she ever played, due to the influence of one of her friends, later on, Yasmine would find out that decision would “change her life for good”, Yasmeen was a member of the youth Egyptian national team in 2017-2018 and is currently a member of the Egyptian women national team for archery, she has built a solid reputation for herself by winning many competitions and achieving many gold medals in the Egyptian national competitions. Moreover, she has been coaching Archery for the past two years with the hope of creating a successful new generation of young Archers and athletes.
Yasmine believes archery is one of the sports with the least physical requirements nowadays, “both abled and disabled people can play, and there’s no age limit too”
Basic archery rules for beginners
-Archers must respect all official rules in terms of the equipment they use to compete in their sport, with the main focus being on them using no equipment or extras that would give an opponent an unfair advantage.
-An end of three arrows may be shot for a maximum of 90 seconds, and an end of six arrows may be shot for a maximum of 180 seconds.
-When the signal to start is given, athletes may not raise their bow arm. If the bow is drawn after the formal training has ended, penalties may be applied, such as a point loss.
-An arrow cannot be re-shot under any circumstances. The arrow may be considered not to have been shot if it falls from the bow or misfires, or if the target blows or falls over. Extra time would be given in such circumstances.
-An arrow will still be scored based on the mark it leaves on the target's face even if it swings back or hangs from the target. Robin Hood-style arrows that stick themselves in another's nock will be scored at the same level as the original arrow.
-Depending on the extent of the infraction, athletes could be disqualified, have points taken away from their score, or have their participation in competitions banned.
Rules-based on age:
The distance is divided into 2 genres:
Opened distance: for beginners
It starts with (18 m, 25 m, and 50 m), you have 1 year for every distance
5 m > under age 7
10 m > under age 9
18 m > under age 11
30 m > under age 13
50 m > under age 15
60 m > under age 17
70 m > under age 20
Seniors > age 20+
After having established the fact that archery is not as physically demanding as many might think, Yasmine admitted that, on the other hand, it’s mentally crushing as it’s all about your focus, which for a person with a short attention span like Yasmine, was quite difficult to get used to at the beginning.
“Eventually, just like everyone, I got better with time and practice, so I don’t really consider it a discouraging factor for people who want to start”
Even if you are willing to undergo the physical and mental challenges of archery, there’s one last reason withholding many from pursuing the sport
“Equipment is extremely expensive; a bow’s price alone can be equivalent to a car’s down payment, and I’m not exaggerating”
Equipment prices
If you’re considering taking up archery, trying to figure out what equipment you need, where to get it, and how to compare the options can be intimidating. Once you start looking into the sport, one glaring question will inevitably come to mind, how much is this going to cost me?
What it costs to practice archery depends on several factors, but for beginners, archery can generally cost between $150 to $500 to start. After the initial costs, you could expect to spend between $10 to $60 a month from recurring costs depending on how often you practice.
N.B: What it costs to practice archery depends on several factors, but for beginners, archery can generally cost between 38000 EGP and 13,000 EGP to start.
Note: these are average prices for tools based on disclosed information by ‘Desert Archery’ and ‘Scuba Tech’, the only two licensed stores in Egypt for selling archery equipment and are both operating under archery Egypt.
The price list, which focuses only on essential archery equipment with overall acceptable quality, inevitably brands the sport as “elitist” or for “wealthy people” only.
|
Equipment |
Price |
|---|---|
|
Easton Pin Adaptor X10 |
506 EGP (€19.27) |
|
Doinker Stabilizer Damperr A- Bomb ¾ 20 thread M/F 1.2 oz
|
3,102 EGP (€118.13) |
|
Beiter Pin Noch Pin-0ut X10 145/2
|
1,410 EGP
(€53.70)
|
|
Win &win handle wiawis ATF-DX 25’’
|
23,500 EGP – 26,500 EGP
(€895 - €1010)
|
|
Win &win limbs wiawis Ns foam
|
21,000 EGP (€800) |
|
Axcel sight achieve carbon recurve w/lock system |
13,000 EGP (€495) |
|
Win&win extender wiawis ACS15
|
1,900 EGP (€73) (€895 - €1010)
|
|
Win &win limbs wiawis Ns foam
|
21,000 EGP (€800) |
|
Axcel sight achieve carbon recurve w/lock system |
13,000 EGP (€495) |
|
Win&win extender wiawis ACS15
|
1,900 EGP (€73) |
|
Equipment |
Price |
|---|---|
|
Win&win stabilizer short wiawis ACS15 |
4,950 EGP (€188.51) |
|
Win&win stabilizer long wiawis ACS-EL
|
6,500 EGP (€248) |
|
Win&win V-Bar CX-AD carbon
|
4,000 EGP (€153) |
|
Shibuya arrow rest magnetic ultima LH-RH convertible |
1,200 EGP (€46) |
|
Hoyt string recurve formula 8190 black
|
800 EGP (€30.5) |
|
Fivics tab skaer 1 cordovan
|
1,800 EGP (€68.5) |
|
Easton Quiver Field Deluxe with belt
|
2,900 EGP (€110,5) |
|
Beiter armgurad
|
500 EGP (€19.5) |
The price list, which focuses only on essential archery equipment with overall acceptable quality, inevitably brands the sport as “elitist” or for “wealthy people” only.
|
Equipment |
Price |
|---|---|
|
Cartel chestguard cartel 101
|
350 EGP (€13.5) |
|
Beiter button 5/16’’
|
3,500 EGP (€134) |
|
Beiter clicker black blade
|
600 EGP (€23) |
|
Easton shaft carbon X10
|
17,000 EGP (€647.5) |
|
Easton glue-In point X10 steel
|
1,400 EGP (€53) |
|
Spider spin vane invictus 2 ¾’’
|
850 EGP (€32) |
Financial costs vary from sport to sport; in archery, even if you are a premium athlete, without good expensive equipment you will not be able to accomplish anything, no matter how special you are; in this situation, I suggest the athlete look for a more affordable sport that will be suitable to his/her talent and his/her age group.
“We (archers) are not only concerned about missed shots or scoring the highest points, but we are also anxious about ruining or wearing out our equipment, in that case, we will have to save a lot to buy new ones aside from other standard expenses we regularly have to pay when practising, it’s a vicious cycle”
“In our sport, even if you possess the needed skills, without the necessary financial support, you will not be able to go far, as a part of the Archer’s development depends on the quality of his equipment”
Yasmin’s coach, Ahmed Helmy El Assar agrees that archery as a sport is extremely expensive due to equipment prices nowadays, which are expected to undergo sharp increases in the future, posing more threats to the future of archery in Egypt.
Ahmed Helmy EL Assar Archery Coach Graduated in 2003 holding a bachelor's degree in physical education Archery training section.
In this audio, coach Ahmed Explains everything about the Archery Sport, its prices and how it works in Egypt.
Lack of support from national sports institutions
Even though Egyptian Archer Ibrahim Sabry won a gold medal in the 2010 youth Olympics in Singapore, it’s very hard to find decent media coverage for Ibrahim, let alone archery in Egypt, Yasmine, just like all Egyptian archers, is heavily upset by this, especially due to the fact that she studies Mass Communications as her university major.
As much as disappointing as the lack of media coverage might be, the lack of financial support for archers is definitely more upsetting, according to Yasmine.
“The biggest amount of money that an Archer can get is 20,000 EGP, and only in the case of achieving an Olympic medal, which is ridiculous”
Local archery champions, on the other hand, receive a monthly allowance of 300 EGP, which is more often than not delayed.
Tips for archery beginners
Yasmine’s main advice for young people who want to pursue archery is to be persistent, patient and have realistic expectations, archery will do wonders in improving your mental capabilities and will teach you both discipline and time management. But you have to wait for results, patiently, believing that every step you take is indeed essential in your practising journey.
"I’ve never imagined that i can do all the things I’m doing right now, Archery taught me time management & how time is important”
Tips for working students
“Working a part-time job and being a full-time student is not an easy task, especially if you don’t have any other means of providing for yourself. One of my best pieces of advice would be to create a planner. If you plan out how to spend each hour you have, you can make better use of it and accomplish more. When you have a lot of things to do and limited time, setting goals is a major help. Each week you should write down the things needed to be completed on certain dates. Just being organized and checking off completed tasks will keep your mind focused on your goals, making you more liable to complete them”
Time Management Tips for Student-Athletes
According to a survey, almost 60% of student-athletes find it very difficult to balance sports and academics in a college. Another study found that college football players and swimmers spend over 25 hours on sports-related activities, other than games. These statistics show how hard it is for a student-athlete to balance school and sports. Some helpful tips for student-athletes are: always make sure to take time to sleep, find study groups, get a tutor if needed, and do not procrastinate. You have to put your education first and above sporting events. “I use the time frames between my classes to do homework assignments.” Added Yasmine.
In this Audio, Yasmeen Samy explains to us how she handles her life tasks, and how she succeeds in time management with Archery.
“Archery taught me discipline and time management”
Contributors:
1-Yasmeen Samy Zaky Mohamed 20060997: shooting & introduction about Yasmeen & the interviewee.
2-Hania Amr Khalil 20060940: shooting, wrote interview questions and cut the imp parts of the audio.
3-Nayera Mohamed Ali 20060928: shooting and introduction about archery.
4-Nyra Atef Mohamed 20060927: shooting & time management subtopic
5-Judie Wael Shahin 20060202: archery rules subtopic
6-Aya Aglan 20060134: Designing, Transcribing interview content.
7- Shahd Saied Mohamed Helal 20061114: shooting and conducting the interview with Yasmeen.
8- Nora Nady Kamal 20060890: editing the videos (montage)
9-Merihan Mohamed Mahmoud 20060817: archery’s equipment prices subtopic
10- Mennah Mohammed Barakat 20061062: shorthand design “ building the design & publishing the content on it”
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