KUALA LUMPUR – Two national archers, Khairul Anuar Mohamad and Muhamad Zarif Syahiir Zolkepeli are at risk of being dropped from participating in next year’s Podium Programme due to their poor performance at the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, in May.
National Archery Association of Malaysia (NAAM) president Datuk Abdul Hamid Hasan, however, said that a second chance would still be given to both of them to be absorbed into the Podium Programme if they show a good performance ahead.
Therefore, Abdul Hamid said the two national Olympians had to prove themselves at the four national circuits until the end of this year in an effort to remain in the programme run by the National Sports Council (MSN).
“MSN gives us space to keep podium athletes until the end of this year whereby we give opportunities to athletes from all over the country who are truly eligible for the programme.
“All archers have a chance whereby we give them space for being selected via the national circuits,” he told reporters after attending the NSC Executive Committee Meeting here today.
At the SEA Games in Hanoi, Khairul Anuar only won silver in the mixed recurve event with Syaqiera Mashayikh besides winning two bronze in the individual recurve event and the men’s team recurve event with Muhamad Zarif.
Abdul Hamid said NAAM had given a minimum of four slots to MSN to be considered for next year’s Podium Programme, with the list of eligible archers expected to be known by early next year.
In the meantime, he said eight countries, including Malaysia, had applied to the organisers of the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, to list archery in the Games.
Archery is not on the list of 39 sports to be competed in the biennial games. – Bernama, July 18, 2022
