KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia need not panic over the national men’s recurve archery team’s failure to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games, said the National Sports Council (NSC) deputy director.
Instead, this is part of a restructuring process aimed at rejuvenating athletes, conducted in collaboration with the National Archery Association of Malaysia (NAAM).
In contrast to the women’s squad, which secured a silver medal and a place in Paris during the Qualification Championship in Turkiye last Saturday, the men’s team – comprising Zarif Syahir Zolkeples, Danish Amsyar Norazlan, and Syafiq Busthamin – suffered a 6-0 defeat in the first round against Indonesia.
This marks the second consecutive time Malaysia’s men’s recurve archery team failed to qualify for the Olympics since Tokyo 2020.
Speaking to Scoop, NSC deputy director Jefri Ngadirin said that the current men’s recurve archery squad features mostly new members, following the departure of seasoned athletes like 2019 World Championship runner-up Khairul Annuar Mohamad and Nor Akmal Hasrin from the Podium Programme.
Zarif, 26, remains the sole veteran in the current men’s recurve squad.
“After the Tokyo Olympic Games, we observed a decline in the performance of our archers, and we were still heavily reliant on seniors like Khairul to lead the nation at international competitions.
“Moreover, at the previous SEA Games in Manila and Hanoi, our recurve archery squad failed to secure gold medals.
“Therefore, based on these circumstances, we decided to overhaul the entire recurve archery team.
“We have revamped and rejuvenated the team by bringing in new athletes, as part of our long-term plan to prepare for the 2027 Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia.
“Our expectation is that they will perform well in upcoming sporting events.
“Their defeat in Turkiye is not a major concern because it is part of restructuring efforts.
“We have revamped coaching structures as well as programmes at the state and district levels,” said Jefri. – June 20, 2024