A Return to the Circuit
Maurice Douay traded a 30-year hiatus from competitive shooting for a regional prize nomination in Finistère, actu.fr reported on November 7, 2026.
From the Bowstring to the Rulebook
After stepping away from the sport in 1976 for professional reasons, Douay picked up a bow again in the mid-2000s under the guidance of coach Pierre Lansard at the Archers de l’Odet club in Quimper, following an early introduction to the discipline in his native Seine-et-Marne in Île-de-France during the early 1960s. He had first received a license and his first bow from his grandfather after following friends to an archery club. He recalled how je faisais des compétitions
and ça commençait à devenir intéressant
at the beginning of the 1970s before professional life diverted him. Upon returning to the sport in retirement, he had to readapt to equipment that had evolved significantly over three decades and to frequently changing rules, noting that il faut s’entraîner et ça revient vite
.
The transition from competitor to official took shape in April 2008. The French Archery Federation introduced a mandate requiring clubs to field certified judges for official tournaments. With their roster lacking an active referee, club leadership approached Douay. He accepted the role following an eight-day review period.
Stepping Onto the Tournament Floor
A rigorous one-year training curriculum followed. Douay formally took his oath in July 2009, stepping onto regional and national tournament floors as an official. He eventually scaled back his weekly officiating commitments after years of refereeing every Sunday, moving away from a schedule where j’arbitrais tous les dimanches
.
Leading Local Archery Club for Fifteen Years
Alongside his officiating duties, Douay served as president of the Archers de l’Odet from 2010 through 2025, maintaining a focus on the discipline and the friendly, mutual-aid spirit of the sport while noting he never had to write an exclusion report for a player.
The November Ceremony in Quimper
The 35th annual Trophées sportifs quimpérois will announce its category winners on November 27, 2026, at the salle Dan-Ar-Braz in Quimper.
