KUALA LUMPUR - National archers Muhamad Zarif Syahiir Zolkepeli and Muhammad Akmal Nor Hasrin are capable of following in the footsteps of Khairul Anuar Mohamad and qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, said national archery head coach Lee Jae Hyung.
The coach said this was based on the performances put up by Muhamad Zarif, 22, and Muhammad Akmal, 25, in training.
The South Korean coach also reminded them to maintain the momentum as they prepare for the Asia Cup, which will be held in Gwangju, South Korea from June 4-15.
“I hope they can raise their performance level in South Korea by working on sharpening their technique before the real challenge, which is the final Olympic qualifiers in Paris from June 18-20,” he told Bernama today.
Khairul Anuar has already confirmed his spot in the Tokyo Games after winning a silver at the World Archery Championships in Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands in June 2019.
The 2020 Tokyo Games will be the 29-year-old Khairul Anuar’s third Olympic appearance after the 2012 London and 2016 Rio editions. Muhammad Akmal also made his Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Meanwhile, National Archery Association of Malaysia (NAAM) president Datuk Abdul Hamid Hasan, when contacted, said he was confident that Muhamad Zarif was capable of replacing the late Haziq Kamaruddin in securing a spot at the Tokyo Olympics, which will be held from July 23-Aug 8.
He said that from the feedback he had received from coach Lee, Muhamad Zarif and Muhammad Akmal had been performing well in training.
He also hoped that lady luck would shine of the duo at the Paris qualifiers and enable them to make the cut for the Tokyo Olympics.
Haziq, 27, who was scheduled to compete in the Paris qualifiers, died on Friday when he collapsed after performing the Subuh prayer at his home in Kajang Selangor.
He was taken to the Kajang Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9.37 am. - Bernama, May 19, 2021
