This is going to be a massive year for Scottish archery. Edinburgh is set to host the World Cup Final in Princes Street Gardens in September – and the sport has been added to the Commonwealth Games programme for New Delhi in October.

For Scottish archer, Emma Downie, 2010 provides a rare opportunity to catapult herself into the limelight. “I’ve only got a very slim chance of making the World Cup team, but the Commonwealth Games is a huge goal,” she said. 

Archery has only been included in the Commonwealth Games once before, in Brisbane 1982, and Emma is delighted that it has made its return. A member of the UK squad – she helped the team win a European Indoor Championship medal in Italy three years ago – she will be one of Scotland’s leading medal hopes. 

“I hope to have a chance of a medal, although I know the Indians will be very strong,” said the 26-year-old who competes in the recurve bow.  “Archery doesn’t get much publicity, but it is actually quite strong in Scotland.”

Brought up in Fraserburgh, Emma only took up the sport when she started a degree in chemistry at Edinburgh University, an establishment with a great tradition in archery.

“I wasn’t terrifically sporty at school, but joining the Archery Club was something to do when I moved to Edinburgh,” she explained. “It’s a great Club and attracts a lot of world-class archers. There are competitions most weekends and the everyone offers a lot of encouragement.” 

Having graduated a couple of years ago, Emma now lives in Wolverhampton to be close to the National Centre at Lillieshall. She works four days a week at a food testing laboratory, and spends six days a week training with her UK squad colleagues.

“It’s a bit hectic,” she acknowledged. “But it works well. We spend a lot of time practising our shooting skills and, nowadays, there is also a greater emphasis on general fitness.”

A Commonwealth Games medal is this year’s target - and another huge goal on the horizon is a place in Team GB for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Even by then, Emma may not have reached her peak.

Alison Williamson helped put archery on the map when she won a bronze medal for GB at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens – and she still intends to be around at the age of 40 in London in two years’ time.

Bob Provan is Scotland’s Archery Team Leader for the Commonwealth Games, and he reckons it will be a very strong team that will line-up in Delhi. Leading the way will be Emma and Montrose-based Simon Needham, an ex-Marine who competed in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

“There are 11 member of the Games squad, and it will be a maximum of ten that will make the trip,” said Provan, who is also Scotland’s Assistant coach. “We certainly hope to be chasing the medals.”

As for the World Cup Final on September 18-19, both Emma and Bob agree it is a “fantastic opportunity” to highlight archery. 

“With Edinburgh Castle as the backdrop, and all the world’s best in action, it promises to be a memorable weekend,” said Bob of an event billed as the most important archery event ever to be staged in the UK.

“Edinburgh, the University and Event Scotland lobbied hard to bring the World Cup to Scotland, and it was also seen as a perfect venue in the lead up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow,” explained Bob. “There will be TV coverage and, hopefully, it will really help boost the sport.” 

For everyone involved in Scottish Archery, it seems that 2010 promises to be a very happy year.

EB
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