During the recent long weekend, archers from Norte de Santander secured a silver medal at the II National Interleagues Archery Championship in Medellín, serving as a qualifying event for the upcoming national games, La Opinión Cúcuta reported. The tournament brought together 300 athletes across 13 regional leagues at the Unidad Deportiva de Belén archery field, featuring competitors in U-15, U-18, U-21, and senior categories in both men’s and women’s divisions.
Silver Medal in Mixed U-15 Compound
Giselle Dávila Romero and Andy Joseph Mendoza Sandoval claimed the silver medal in the U-15 mixed team compound event. Antioquia captured the gold medal in the category, while Valle del Cauca took the bronze. Overall, host department Antioquia dominated the standings with 17 gold medals, 11 silver medals, and 11 bronze medals for a total of 39 podium finishes. Valle del Cauca placed third with two gold medals, seven silver medals, and four bronze medals.
🏹 Proud Moment for PM SHRI KV No. 2 AFS Pune!Congratulations to Master Arnav Akshay Bhosle for winning the 🥈 Silver Medal at the KVS National Archery Championship held in New Delhi and qualifying for SGFI! 🌟Wishing him greater success ahead! 🇮🇳👏 #Archery #SGFI @KVS_HQ pic.twitter.com/PyRvWZasg9
In the broader standings, Norte de Santander finished tenth overall. Despite limited resources compared to major delegations, the team secured qualification for eight archers across compound and recurvo disciplines ahead of the multi-sport games scheduled for Sincelejo and Montería in 2027.
Individual and Team Standings in Medellín
Individual performances during the ranking rounds showed competitive depth across younger brackets. Andy Mendoza finished fourth and Daniela Ávila fifth in the U-15 men’s and women’s compound qualification rounds, respectively. Andrés Pizarro placed seventh in the U-15 recurve classification, while Sarah González took seventh in the U-21 compound division.
In the elimination brackets, Andy Mendoza reached the round of 16, Daniela Ávila advanced to the quarterfinals in compound, and Andrés Pizarro matched that quarterfinal run in recurve. Mixed teams also featured multiple quarterfinal appearances, including Allison Reyes and Andrés Pizarro in recurve, alongside Sarah González paired with both Juan Osorio and Moisés Parada in compound.
Equipment Deficits and Training Realities
Diego Vásquez, coach of the Norte de Santander Archery League, described the overall team performance as positive despite challenging weather conditions in Antioquia. Vásquez noted that this edition was the largest ever organized by the federation, with 300 athletes participating, and added that this result is the fruit of the sporting process they have been developing with great efforts. However, Vásquez emphasized that outdated equipment remains a primary hurdle for athletes competing against heavily funded departments.
“The sports implementation is an important factor. We need to improve in that aspect because technology advances and bows from three or four years ago become obsolete,” Vásquez said. He added that updating equipment has relied heavily on personal sacrifices and family funding.
Vásquez also stressed that the competitive level is quite high at this stage when leagues are fighting for qualification to the games. “We finish with pending work with our athletes, with the idea of achieving medals in the 2027 National and Para-National Games,” he stated. The delegation now shifts focus toward preparation cycles for the 2027 games, aiming to bridge the technical gap before the next major national qualifying window.
