The Congress team raffled off a special prize - the traditional Abkhazian bow "Sustar" at the annual archery tournament in the Abkhazian ethnic park "Apsny". Archery competitions among the participants of the Sukhum shooting club "Afyrkhy" and fans of the traditional sport were held on September 29.

Participants of the shooting club, guests from the North Caucasus, as well as many lovers of the traditional game gathered in the meadow of the Abkhazian national park. The tournament was timed to coincide with the celebration of the 29th anniversary of the Victory Day in the Patriotic War of the People of Abkhazia in 1992-1993. 18 archers took part in the tournament.

A member of the "Afyrkhy" shooting club and the chief referee of the tournament Adgur Kakoba thanked the WAC for active support.

"Holding a shooting tournament on September 29 has become a traditional event before the celebration of the Victory Day. It was a great honor for us that for the first time at the tournament the World Abaza Congress played a prize - the traditional Abkhazian bow "Sustar". It was a pleasant surprise for us. WAC employees also take an active part in competitions and show great success in a short time. I want to express special gratitude to the Chairman of the WAC Mussa Khabalievich Ekzekov for the attention shown to the tournament," Kakoba said.

Archers competed in four different types of shooting for three hours. After a short briefing, the archers began to compete in the first two types of shooting. Athletes in the first type shot from a distance of 30 meters. Then they proceeded to the Abkhazian type of shooting, the so-called "withdrawal-approach". It is this game that archers also call the "Abkhazian target". This type of shooting is different in that at first the archers stand at a short distance of 5 meters and shoot from half a turn. Then, with each shot they move further a few meters. This continues up to a maximum distance of 30 meters. Then the archers go back in the same way.

The results of shooting from a distance of 30 meters and the "Abkhazian target" were summed up.  As a result of the calculation, the guest from the North Caucasus, Akhmed Kushkhov, won. The second place went to Elena Labakhua, the third to Adamur Arshba.     

Then the archers started shooting from a maximum distance of 75 meters. The point was that each archer from the prescribed distance had to hit 5 targets at different distances. Three participants of the tournament managed to cope with the goal - Valery Berzenia, Adamur Arshba and Akhmed Kushkhov. All three became winners in this event.

Therefore, archer Akhmed Kushkhov, who came to the competition from the North Caucasus, managed to win in shooting from a distance of 30 and 75 meters, as well as in "Abkhazian target" shooting.

"I have been doing archery for five years, and I have been coming to competitions in Abkhazia for the third year. I was introduced to this type by a close friend, the founder of the shooting club Batal Dzhapua. For everyone who has never shot, I advise you to try," Akhmed Kushkhov shared his impressions.

The fourth final type of shooting at a distance of 10 meters was exceptional for the sixth tournament at the initiative of the World Abaza Congress. It was for this type of shooting that a special prize was raffled off - the Abkhazian bow "Sustar", made by order of the Congress by the gunsmith Arsen Emkuzhov. The prize was a recreated copy of the traditional Abkhazian bow.

Archer Elena Labakhua became the winner of the fourth kind for the Congress prize. It was she who got the Abkhazian traditional bow "Sustar".

"Archery is an amazing thing. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that there is a shooter and a target, and nothing else. There is no cheating or trickery here. The archer must show all his skills. This is the main excitement of the game. Archery mobilizes the mind, improves the perception of the surrounding world, teaches to control the body," said the winner Elena Labakhua.

The head of the Department of Youth Development and Physical Culture of the WAC Valery Berzenia shared his impressions of the games.

"Earlier, only three types of shooting were played in the tournament. Today, thanks to the Congress, a fourth type has been added. The Abkhazian bow "Sustar" is a significant gift for any archer. It is an honor for all participants to take part in the tournament dedicated to the Victory Day. Of course, it's nice to see those who showed interest in shooting and came to cheer," Berzenia said.

Many women took part in the sixth tournament. They are mostly members of the "Afyrkhy" shooting club.

"Every year the interest in archery is increasing. The club includes both children and adults. It is very pleasant that our population has such an interest in games. The very moment people come to our club, they immediately feel the excitement. After all, this sport is close to the Abkhazians. Our ancestors have used this weapon since ancient times. The desire to master these techniques is in our genes," added Ilona Kvitsinia, a member of the "Afyrkhy" shooting club.

The "Afyrkhy" shooting club was created in 2016 by an initiative group led by the keeper of Abkhazian traditions Batal Dzhapua. Every year, the shooting club holds several traditional tournaments dedicated to the Victory Day in the Patriotic War of the People of Abkhazia in 1992-1993 and the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, as well as a tournament in memory of the Hero of Abkhazia Valery Delba.