International Archery Federation (FITA) – Media Release

Dr Ugur Erdener elected new FITA president

Madrid, June 19, 2005 - Dr Ugur Erdener of Turkey has been elected the new president of the International Archery Federation (FITA).

Dr Erdener defeated Ms Lynne Evans of Great Britain 80-16 in a two-person election at the biannual FITA International Congress in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday.

He succeeds International Olympic Committee vice-president Jim Easton (USA), who retired from the FITA presidency after 16 years.

Dr Erdener is the first person from Turkey to be appointed as president of a Summer Olympic sport federation. His appointment is effective immediately.

“It’s a very happy moment for me and a very proud moment for my country,” said Dr Erdener.

“To have won with such a strong majority gives me confidence that I have the support of the federation as we continue to improve archery and increase its profile.”

A married father of two, Dr Erdener, 55, is a doctor of medicine and is employed as the Director General of the Hacettepe Medical Complex. His background in sports includes athletics and basketball as well as archery.

Both he and Ms Evans had provided detailed written plans of how they intended to lead FITA and archery into the future if they were elected.

“My priority is to ensure archery continues as an active, popular and appealing Olympic sport,” said Dr Erderner.

A Turkish television crew and newspaper reporters were in Madrid to cover the election. Turkey has a thriving archery community and hosts the annual Golden Arrow tournament in Antalya, one of the major events on the sportÂ’s calendar.

Dr Erdener was previously FITAÂ’s first vice-president. NorwayÂ’s Paul Paulsen was elected as the new first vice-president.

As well, Bob Smith of the USA, ThailandÂ’s Sanguan Kosavinta and FranceÂ’s Philippe Bouclet were elected as vice presidents. BelgiumÂ’s Tom Dielen is the new secretary general, replacing Guiseppe Cinneralla of Italy, who retired after 24 years of service.

The 43rd World Outdoor Archery Championships begin in Madrid on Tuesday, with finals scheduled for Saturday and Sunday (June 25-26).

For more information, visit www.archery.org

Ludivine MAITRE
Communications Officer
FITA (International Archery Federation)