Competition at the Istanbul 2025 European Youth Para Games was completed on Friday with gold and bronze finals in recurve, compound and W1 for the field of U23 athletes.
In recurve, Slovakia’s Ivan Denis triumphed over Türkiye’s Sezgin Zeynep 6-4, with top seed Mustafa Birlik finishing with bronze. In W1, Francesco Maria Sorato delighted the Italian delegation with gold, beating his compatriot Francesco Tomaselli 142-140.
Italy would have more to cheer about as Gabriele Saccoman took the compound title over Liliana Lacova of Slovakia in a shootoff, after both archers tied on 136 points each. “I am very proud of myself. I did the best that I could. To win at my international debut is something that is spectacular,” said an ecstatic Saccoman afterwards.
“I know that this is just a small part of all the international matches and qualifications… but this is a start to be an important athlete in the future. The gold medal gives me the opportunity to grow as an athlete, to start to grow and be stronger, to be more effective in the future.”
Italy would finish top of the five nation medal table with two golds and a silver.
It was a small competition in terms of numbers, but with outsize importance for the sport. Tournament director Dominique Ohlmann said: “Being part of the youth multisport events gives para archery more chance to be highlighted.“
“Multisport events have a stronger capacity to communicate which can give advantage to all disciplines. Being part of it is also a kind of recognition of para archery as a ‘real’ sport.”
“The EPYG in Istanbul has given an incredible highlight of our discipline that we normally wouldn’t or couldn’t expect at a youth event with seven countries and 26 athletes.”
Following Istanbul, in 2025 para archery will also be present in Santiago de Chile at the Para Panamerican Youth Games, and in Dubai for the Asia Youth Para Games. Like the European Youth Para Games, these events will also feature U23 athletes with competition indoors at 18m.
Dubai will also host the first International event dedicated to U21 para archers from 28-30 October, part of a global expansion of youth para archery that has been many years in development.
The competition in Istanbul has been an important milestone on that journey.
