“The archery breeding ground continues to bear fruit”

▲ At this point, you start wondering if you'll ever make the Mexican national team, because you should at least be a world-class player , says Sebastián García, the Mexican compound bow representative. Photo @bachan_13

Adriana Díaz Reyes

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, p. a12

Maintaining a place on the archery team and making it to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games is an increasingly difficult task for both the sport's leading figures and the new generations.

The rapid growth of practitioners of the specialty and its increased popularity following the Olympic medals makes the fight for a spot on the national team even more intense.

“There's so much talent in Mexico that sometimes you wonder if you'll ever make it to the national team. At this point, you need to be in the world's top ranks to make the team, and that speaks volumes about your skill level, but it also makes things more complicated,” shared Sebastián García, Mexico's compound bow representative and World Cup medalist.

In the run-up to Paris 2024, Olympic medalists Mariana Avitia, Aída Román, and Luis Álvarez were left out of the team; their places were taken by juniors Ángela Ruiz, Ana Paula Vázquez, and Matías Grande.

You have to find your best version. Right now, some of us are on the team, but next year, who knows, others will come after me who want to take my place. I feel very fortunate for the confidence they're showing us young people, because it motivates us not to let the country down.

World Archery Mexico, directed by Gabriel Ramos, is committed to the future of the sport by focusing on developing a new generation that will represent the country at both Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032.

Archery is a breeding ground that never stops bearing fruit. We have a wealth of talent in many states, as well as established athletes like Alejandra Valencia; she's the strength of the team, always supporting and sharing her experience with others , Ramos commented.

Work axes

Building new training centers, training more mentors, and organizing more national competitions are three of the main areas of work for the coming years.

"How can we get more archers shooting arrows? The idea is to build schools across the country, because the more athletes we have practicing archery, the more opportunities we'll have to find new champions ," Ramos shared.

To date, archery has earned Mexico four Olympic medals: two individual and two team.

Ramos' project seeks to expand our country's existing talent pool with the idea that a greater number of athletes to choose from will lead to a higher-quality team.

The work is evident at the National Championships, where the level is very high; dozens of archers are competing for medals in both recurve and compound archery, and that makes us proud.

Matías Grande, Valentina Vázquez, and Karime Montoya are talents in the spotlight for the recurve bow, while Carlos and Andrés, brothers of Maya Becerra, world number one, stand out for the compound bow.

Starting with Los Angeles 2028, Mexico will have new medal opportunities thanks to the inclusion of the compound bow category by the International Olympic Committee.

When I chose the compound bow, I already knew the Olympic dream wasn't for me; when I heard the news that an event would be included, I was thrilled, because no competition can compare to attending the Games; that's an experience that stays with you forever , García concluded.

AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, p. a12

London. Nine days after playing in the Roland Garros final, Carlos Alcaraz (champion) and Jannik Sinner made their debuts with victories at Queen's and Halle, respectively. The Murcian defeated Australian Adam Walton 6-4, 7-6, while the Italian defeated local Yannick Hanfmann 7-5, 6-3.

After spending a few days resting in Ibiza, Alcaraz showed a quick and precise adaptation to the British turf of the ATP 500.

The player, coached by Juan Carlos Mosquito Ferrero, learned while at Queen's that his compatriot Alejandro Davidovich wouldn't be his first opponent: the Malaga native suffered a stomach ache the night before, and Walton took his place. Since there was no previous history between the Australian and the Spaniard, the latter had to inquire about his opponent's characteristics.

World number two Alcaraz won in one hour and 42 minutes after saving both break points generated by Walton. The Spaniard is looking to become the first player to win ATP titles on three different surfaces this season, having already won on hard courts (Rotterdam) and clay (Monte Carlo, Rome, and Roland Garros).

In the next round he will face Australian Jordan Thompson (37) or Spaniard Jaume Munar (59).

▲ The Murcian (pictured) won in his appearance at the Queen's Tournament in London, while the Italian won in Halle, Germany. Photo AFP

Australian Alex de Miñaur (12) and American Ben Shelton (10) suffered unexpected eliminations in the first round.

"I spent several sleepless nights after the Roland Garros final ," Sinner admitted at the ATP 500 in Halle, Germany, where he is defending his title.

The 23-year-old player made his debut on German grass with a victory and, in the next round, will face the unpredictable and talented Kazakh Alexander Bublik (45).

I'm satisfied with my performance. First matches on grass are never easy. We'll see what happens in the next round , said Sinner, who in an hour and a half hit 10 aces , didn't commit double faults, served 71 percent of his first serves, and won 84 percent of his first serve points.

In the next round, the world number one will face Bublik, an awkward opponent, but one he defeated in the Roland Garros quarterfinals.

"It's a match with a completely uncertain prognosis. He's a tremendous player with immense talent. We all know grass is his favorite surface. He beat me in this very tournament before. I remember he was champion here a couple of seasons ago ," Sinner recalled.

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, p. a31

Canada's national team confirmed its status as a serious contender to win the Gold Cup alongside the United States and Mexico. The team coached by former soccer player Mauro Biello made a statement by defeating Honduras 6-0 in its debut in the tournament, which was played yesterday at BC Place Stadium.

Niko Sigur opened the scoring in the 27th minute, capitalizing on a poor defensive clearance and beating goalkeeper Edrick Menjívar with a powerful, low shot. Before the half ended, the Maple Leafs increased their lead with a left-footed shot into the top corner by Tani Oluwaseyi (45+2).

In the second half, the story of the match remained unchanged, with the Canadian side creating numerous dangerous plays thanks to the speed of their attacking players, despite the absence of their star player, Bayern Munich player Alphonso Davies, for this match.

Villarreal's Tajon Buchanan took advantage of his team's dominance to increase the lead with a brace (48th and 65th). In the final minutes, Canadian attacks continued, and in the 75th minute, Promise David finished alone in front of the opponent's goal in the six-yard box, and in the 90th, Nathan Saliba sealed the victory.

With this result, Canada moved into first place in Group B, where El Salvador drew 0-0 with Curaçao yesterday at PayPal Park in San José. In this match, Mexican Katia Itzel García became the first woman to referee a Gold Cup match.

The Caribbean team will face Canada in its next match on Saturday, while Honduras will play La Selecta that same day in the second round of the tournament.