England’s archers will battle it out for medals in three of the four team competitions at the Commonwealth Games Test Event in Delhi tomorrow (Thursday).
 
Nichola Simpson, meanwhile, is the only archer flying the flag for England in the semi-finals of the individual events, which take place on Friday.
 
The England women’s compound team of Andrea Gales, Nicky Hunt and Nichola Simpson face Malaysia in their semi-final tomorrow, with the winner facing the winner of the other semi between Scotland and India in the final, which also takes place on Thursday.
 
The men’s compound team of James Bingham, James Forbes and Mark Franklin face India, the host nation, in their semi-final, with Malaysia and Wales in the other semi.
 
England also face India in the men’s recurve semi-finals. Rob Hallworth, John Shales and Lee Williams booked a place in the semis with an emphatic 199-169 victory over Wales today (Wednesday). Scotland and Malaysia contest the other semi.
 
But the women’s recurve team of Abi Clayton, Louise Colville and Estelle Edwick missed out on the semis, going down 178-173 to Singapore in their quarter-final today.
 
Simpson will shoot off against India’s Gagandeep Kaur in Friday’s individual compound semi-finals after scoring an emphatic victory over Scotland’s Claudine Jennings in the quarter-finals today.
 
But Hunt missed out after losing her quarter-final to Scotland’s Tracey McGowan. Gales lost her round of 16 contest to India’s Manjhuhda Soy.
 
Forbes and Franklin both reached the men’s individual compound quarter-finals, but lost to Isaiad Sanam (IND) and Muhammed Mahazan (MAS) respectively. Bingham lost his round of 16 tie to India’s Jayantilal Nanoma.
 
England’s Colville was the only non-Indian player to reach the quarter-finals of the women’s individual recurve, but went down to Sushma. Edwick and Clayton both went out in the round of 16.
 
In the men’s individual recurve, Hallworth, Shales and Williams all lost in the round of 16 to Indian opposition.
 
The team events semi-finals and finals are tomorrow (Thursday) with the individual event semi-finals and finals on Friday.
 
Around 100 archers from 10 nations are taking part in the test event which is at the Yamuna Sports Complex, one of the archery venues for the Delhi Commonwealth Games.
 
Archery made its only other appearance on the Commonwealth Games programme at Brisbane in 1982 and makes only its second Commonwealth appearance in Delhi.
 
England can justifiably claim to be joint top of the all-time Commonwealth Games medal table for archery, thanks to Mark Blenkarne’s victory in the men’s competition.
 
The 2010 Commonwealth Games take place in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. They will feature 17 sports - archery, aquatics (swimming, synchronised swimming & diving), athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, rugby 7s, shooting, squash, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. With the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Commonwealth Games England is entering a breath-taking four years of sport.

Commonwealth Games England (GCE) is the organisation responsible for selecting and organising England's team at the Commonwealth Games.
England finished second to Australia on the medal table at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games with 36 golds, 40 silvers and 34 bronzes.


Sport England is responsible for building the foundations of sporting success, by creating a world-leading community sport system of clubs, coaches, facilities and volunteers. Their focus is growing and sustaining the numbers of people taking part in sport and improving talent development to help more people excel.
 
For further information about archery in England please go to the English Archery Federation website at www.englisharcheryfederation.org

For further information about Commonwealth Games England please contact the Commonwealth Games England press office at Matchtight Ltd on 07765 071683 or 07831 755351 or see the CGE’s website at www.weareengland.org <http://www.weareengland.org>