Edinburgh's Events Champion, Councillor Steve Cardownie, joined leading Paralympian and Commonwealth archers in Princes Street Gardens today to announce that Edinburgh will host the Archery World Cup Final in 2010, the first UK city to do so.
The Council is expected to approve the capital's support for the event at its Culture and Leisure Committee meeting on 6th May.
The World Cup Final, which will take place over the weekend of 17-18 September 2010 in East Princes Street Gardens, will be free to view and is expected to attract thousands of spectators. There will also a series of ‘come and try' events to encourage participation in the sport.
The City of Edinburgh Council, EventScotland, UK Sport, ArcheryGB and the Scottish Archery Association have all been involved in discussions with FITA, the world governing body for archery, to bring the event to Edinburgh, and the UK, for the first time.
This tournament is the culmination of four World Cup qualifying stages hosted in various cities across the globe during 2010. It will feature the top 32 archers in the world and will be televised and broadcast internationally.
Lynne Evans, Chairman of Archery GB said "On behalf of Archery GB, we are absolutely delighted the World Cup Grand Final is coming to Britain, and delighted that the city of Edinburgh will be the hosts.
"We hosted a World Cup stage in Dover two years ago, and that was a big success, but the Grand Final takes it to a new level, and I'm really excited that Edinburgh has shown such enormous enthusiasm to host the event.
"I know it will be a big success, and that the archers from around the world who will have qualified through the elimination process, plus archers from the United Kingdom, will be made extremely welcome, and have a wonderful time."
Cllr Cardownie called East Princes Street Gardens "a fitting arena for such a prestigious tournament."
"I am sure that the people of Edinburgh and visitors to the City will get right behind it."