Veteran Turkish archer Vedat Erbay, with a rich Olympic history, clinched his fourth gold medal in the classical bow masters category at the Indoor Archery World Cup's third leg competition in Nimes, France.
At 57 years old, Erbay's archery journey began in Samsun in 1983, leading to his representation of Türkiye in the classical bow category at the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.
Beyond his exceptional career as an athlete, Erbay served as the coach of the Turkish national team from 2008 to 2011 and later took on the role of head coach for the Iraq national team in 2013-2016 and 2022-2023.
Erbay's influence extends beyond coaching; he has trained numerous athletes through his archery academy, including Zehra Özbey Torun, a participant in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.
His coaching excellence has translated into success for his athletes, with Erbay achieving several accolades in the masters' category, both domestically and internationally.
The accomplished archer secured first place in the Masters Olympics in 2016 and 2021, adding another championship to his impressive resume at the 2016 Bangkok, 2019, and 2021 Nimes Indoor Archery World Cup events.
Currently coaching the Azerbaijan national archery team, Erbay is gearing up for the World Cup Olympic trials set to take place in Dubai.
In a statement to Anadolu Agency (AA), Erbay expressed his pride in winning the third-leg competition of the Indoor Archery World Cup in Nimes, describing it as one of the most significant competitions globally.
Having prepared for the event after his tenure as the Iraq national team coach, Erbay triumphantly secured his fourth World Cup championship in the masters category.
"It is a distinct honor for me to bring the World Cup championship to my country. I enjoyed it," Erbay said.
Erbay underscored his commitment to nurturing talent, citing his club's impressive performance in medal rankings.
Reflecting on Turkish archery's global standing, he said, "Turkish archery is one of the best in the world. So, when it comes to archery, we are in the world."
