Asian Games Fact Box: Archery

Doha -- Archery is a target sport that requires great powers of concentration and technique. Using a bow and arrow, the aim is to shoot the target with points awarded for accuracy.

It is a sport that requires a surprising amount of strength and stamina. Modern arrows can fly at more than 240 kmph. There are two main types of modern bow: the recurve and the compound.

The compound bow, with its system of pulleys, makes the string far easier to draw, while the traditional recurve design makes it more difficult to aim accurately. Only the recurve bow is allowed at the major tournaments such as Olympics and the Asian Games.

Targets are marked with 10 concentric rings, which score from one to 10; the nearer the arrow to the middle, the greater the score. Asian countries are currently the best in the world at shooting the recurve bow, with South Korea consistently achieving medals at Olympics and World Championships and India making strong performances.

History:

Archery featured in the second Olympics in 1900 but was dropped between 1920 and 1972. The International Archery Federation celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.