Three Barebow World Records Shattered in Rome | Archery Weekly Mar 3–9

The first week of March brought world records, historic wins, and massive youth tournaments to the archery world. From barebow brilliance in Rome to Moldova’s first-ever European gold, here’s everything you need to know.

Three Barebow World Records Fall at Italian Indoor Championships

The 2026 Italian Indoor Championships at the Nuova Fiera di Roma drew over 1,300 archers — a record turnout — and produced three new barebow world records, all pending ratification by World Archery.

Italy’s Giulia Mantilli delivered the headline performance, shooting a new barebow women’s world record of 559 points at 18 metres to retain her Italian title. The score surpassed the previous mark by two points.

“The record? No, I didn’t expect it,” Mantilli said. “My coach stopped me with three arrows remaining, looked me in the eye, and finally that 30 came out. Those two points allowed me to break the record — a record I fought for until the last arrow.”

Valter Basteri improved the barebow men’s over-50 qualification record with a score of 566, edging out the previous mark of 564 set just weeks earlier by Sweden’s Erik Jonsson. Meanwhile, Elisa Medico bettered her own barebow women’s over-50 world record with a score of 531.

The event also crowned new Italian indoor champions in recurve and compound divisions.

Moldova Makes History at European Indoor Championships

At the European Indoor Archery Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Moldova’s women’s team won their first-ever European gold medal in adult competition. Kasandra Berzan, Alexandra Myrka, and Nicole Stryapunina defeated Georgia 5-4 in a dramatic shoot-off final, with Ukraine taking bronze.

The achievement marks a milestone for Moldovan archery. While Alexandra Myrca won a European outdoor mixed team title back in 2016, this is the country’s first indoor adult championship gold.

The tournament drew 315 athletes from 27 countries across 15 medal events.

Payal Nag: The World’s First Quadruple Amputee International Archer

World Archery spotlighted the inspiring story of India’s Payal Nag, an 18-year-old who became the world’s first quadruple amputee archer to compete internationally at the Dubai 2025 Asian Youth Para Games.

Nag lost all four limbs at age seven after contact with a live wire. Despite facing unimaginable prejudice — including family members who questioned whether she should live — she found archery and has already medalled at the Indian Para Archery Championships in both 2025 and 2026.

“Every tournament I play, I learn lessons. Dubai will always be special — playing against international stars was like a dream,” Nag said.

Kentucky NASP State Tournament: 9,241 Student Archers Expected

The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) continues to thrive as Kentucky prepares to host the nation’s largest school archery tournament on March 13-14 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

A staggering 9,241 student archers from 415 schools are registered for the State Bullseye Tournament, with over 3,000 also competing in the 3D event. Kentucky’s NASP program, launched in 2002 with just 21 pilot schools, now reaches over 160,000 students annually through physical education curriculum.

Arkansas is also hosting its 18th annual Archery in Schools State Championship on March 6-7 in Hot Springs, with 1,900+ students competing. Indiana’s state tournament follows on March 21 in Indianapolis.

Ohio and Arkansas Propose New Hunting Season Dates

Both Ohio and Arkansas are moving forward with proposed changes to their 2026-27 hunting regulations:

• Ohio has proposed an early deer archery season running from September 12, 2026 through February 7, 2027 — one of the longest archery seasons in the country
• Arkansas is streamlining its hunting and fishing regulations, reducing both the number and complexity of rules hunters must follow

Hunters in Ohio’s disease surveillance areas would get additional harvest opportunities under the proposed rules.

World Archery Americas Launches 2026 Webinar Series

World Archery Americas kicked off its 2026 webinar series in early March, covering topics including emotion regulation in sports, the Para classification system for the Pan American Games, and new competition rules. The series is free for member association participants.

This Week’s Best Archery Deals

Outdoor Life’s latest roundup highlighted significant discounts on archery gear from brands including Axcel, Ultraview, Spot Hogg, Stan, and Easton. Notable deals include savings on the Easton Axis Long Range 4mm arrows, sights, and releases — worth checking out if you’re gearing up for the outdoor season.

Looking Ahead

• March 6-7: Arkansas NASP State Championship, Hot Springs
• March 8: Black Mountain Bowmen switch to outdoor NFAA 900 format
• March 13-14: Kentucky NASP State Tournament, Louisville (9,241 archers)
• March 16: World Archery newsletter submission deadline
• March 21: Indiana NASP State Tournament, Indianapolis

That’s a wrap for this week. The indoor season is winding down across much of the Northern Hemisphere, but there’s no shortage of action as youth tournaments ramp up and outdoor season approaches. See you next Monday.

Sources: World Archery, NKY Tribune, Outdoor Life, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, Logos Press, World Archery Americas