World Archery Extends Exclusive Broadcast Partnership -- Federations Focus

(ATR) World Archery is extending its exclusive broadcast agreement with major telecommunications company Eurosport.

The television network will broadcast all international archery events for the next four years.

"The exposure this ongoing partnership with Eurosport provides for the sport is key in motivating the public to get active and give archery a try," World Archery president Ugur Erdener said in a statement.

Per their agreement, Eurosport will work to promote the federation's events and activations including theHyundai Archery World Cup Final and World Archery Championships.

"Eurosport already dedicates over half of its schedule to Olympic sports and this agreement further strengthens our portfolio as we start our journey towards the next Summer Games in Tokyo," Eurosport CEO Peter Hutton states.

The first event to be broadcast under the new deal will be the 2017 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Shanghai, China this May.

Chinese NOC president Makes Official Visit to FIS

International Ski Federation (FIS) officials met with the newly elected president of the Chinese National Olympic Committee Gou Zhongwen at FIS headquarters in Oberhofen.

The five member Chinese delegation discussed upcoming eventsand the "growing interest and development of snow sports in China"with FIS president Gian Franco Kasper and secretary general Sarah Lewis according to a release.

The 2021 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships are to be held in China along with the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

"The development of skiing and winter sports is China is positively impacting the entire industry and we are convinced that Beijing 2022 will be memorable Olympic Winter Games," said Kasper.

Women’s Boxing Switches to Men’s Format

The Nations Cup in Serbia organized by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) is the first to adopt the traditional men’s boxing format for a women’s tournament.

The first elite and youth women’s international boxing tournament of 2017 concluded on Jan. 15 in the city of Vrba. The tournament featured bouts of three rounds of three minutes each, following the AIBA executive committee’s approval of the format change in December.

Prior to the tournament, women’s boxing matches consisted of four rounds of two minutes each.

This latest initiative builds on AIBA’s efforts to bring gender equality to the sport. In the near future, women’s boxing will also likely follow the men’s boxing rule change that eliminates headguards from all competitions.

Written by Courtney ColquittandKevin Nutley

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