KUALA LUMPUR – The National Sports Council (NSC) has pledged to provide the best equipment for its para-archers competing in this year’s Paris Paralympics, aiming to rectify the setbacks encountered during the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
The governing body’s response came after national recurve archer S. Suresh revealed that he was unable to reach a podium finish due to problems with his Hoyt brand equipment, citing that it broke just days before the tournament.
American brand Hoyt Archery is one of the world’s leading bow manufacturers alongside South Korean brand Wiawis.
Speaking to Scoop, NSC paralympic division director Mohd Sofian Hamzah acknowledged the equipment challenges faced by Suresh and other Malaysian athletes, emphasising that the fault lay with the manufacturers rather than the governing body.
“We at NSC admit there were issues with the equipment, and it broke a few days before the tournament, but we at NSC never intended to provide low-quality equipment for any of our athletes. In fact, we even procured a new set of equipment when Suresh’s bow limb broke.
“The equipment that we purchased at that time was from a brand called ‘Hoyt Archery,’ which was the best during that time. But from NSC’s side, it was never our mistake but the mistake of the equipment manufacturers.
“Not only our Malaysian athletes but also many athletes around the world who used that brand had issues with the equipment during the Paralympics.
“Even after the Paralympics, head coach Marzuki Zakaria came and told us that the brand was not suitable for his athletes, and we made sure not to procure that brand for our athletes.
“Moving forward, we have ensured that we provide the best equipment for our athletes to succeed in tournaments,” said Sofian when contacted.
At the same time, Sofian also said that the governing body would not reveal the brand that its athletes will be using in this year’s Paris Paralympics, but he assured that the equipment would arrive on time before the tournament.
“We’ve ordered a new set of equipment for the archers who have qualified for this year’s Paralympics. I can’t reveal (the brand), but we ordered based on coach Marzuki’s suggestions for this year’s Paris edition.
“NSC has approved the new equipment, and I think it will arrive by next month or two. We will make sure that the new equipment arrives before they depart for Paris and ensure that they are comfortable with it.
“There are a few athletes who may request additional equipment for the tournament to enhance their performance, and we will provide them based on their requirements,” Sofian added.
The 31-year-old former world champion Suresh is one of three para archers – alongside Nur Jannaton Abd Jalil and G. Daneshen – who qualified for the multisport event.
In the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Suresh was eliminated after losing 6-2 to Russia’s Bato Tsydendorzhiev in the 1/16 elimination round.
He was named the National Paralympic Sportsman in 2022 after his historic feat in the 2019 World Archery Championships in the Netherlands.
The last Malaysian athlete to win a medal at the world tournament was the late Salam Sidek, who took home a bronze medal in the 2011 edition in Turin, Italy.
This year’s Paralympics are scheduled to take place from August 28 to September 8. – April 22, 2024