The National Archery Association of Malaysia (NAAM) are targeting at least four gold medals at this year’s SEA Games which will see the archers springing into action in five days.
“We are expecting four gold medals from the archery team,” said team manager Shamsuddin Ibrahim.
The recurve men’s team is comprised of Haziq Kamaruddin, Khairul Anuar Mohamad, Muhammad Akmal Nor Hasrin, and Muhamad Zarif Syahir Zolkepeli, where they had just returned from a month’s training stint in South Korea.
“Zarif has been consistent with his performances throughout the Kita Juara program and it is for that reason, we have absorbed him into the team,” add Shamsuddin.
In the meantime, M. Khambeswaran is looking forward to his first SEA Games this year. The Penangites will compete in the compound men’s team.
Khambeswaran took up archery four years ago and following the encouragement from his father, has even made the national team of which he has been a member for the past year.
“It is my first SEA Games so I do not have any target. I would just like to do my best,” said the 18-year-old, whom alongside Juwaidi Mazuki had just came back from the World Games in Wroclaw, Poland.
“It was an exciting experience playing at the World Games for both Juwaidi and I.
“My team-mates played a big role in motivating me and to keep on pushing myself in the sport.”
Archery is scheduled to take place at the Synthetic Turf Field, National Sports Council, KL Sports City from 16-22 August 2017. – BY SARA YAZMIN
