KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian women’s archery team is foregoing the excitement of joining the highly anticipated contingent parade at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, where the contingent will be donning special attire designed by Malaysia’s renowned fashion label, Rizman Ruzaini.
Speaking to Scoop, recurve archery team coach Norizham Ishak explained that the decision was necessary because the archery events begin early on July 25, a day before the opening ceremony along the Seine River.
As such, they need to fully utilise their limited time to recuperate and train before their competition resumes three days later.
Malaysia is pinning its hopes on debutant Ariana Nur Dania Mohamad Zairi for the women’s individual event at Esplanade des Invalides in northern Paris.
Norizham anticipates that the individual event could extend into the late afternoon or evening.
“We will start on July 25 with the qualifying session, followed by rest days on July 26 and 27, before resuming on the 28th. Therefore, we will not participate in the contingent parade as we need to attend training sessions.
“We are allowed to train at the championship venue, though time is limited, so we will make the most of it.
“The individual event could run until the evening, around 7pm or 8pm. In the morning, temperatures may be around 13 to 14 degrees Celsius. Although it’s expected to be cold, we’ve prepared our athletes during our recent training camp in South Korea,” said Norizham.
Besides Ariana, Malaysia’s women’s archery team comprises Nurul Azreena Mohamad Fazil and Syaqiera Mashayikh, marking a historic achievement as the first Malaysian women’s archery team to qualify for the Olympic Games.
Norizham refrains from placing high expectations, preferring to adopt the same approach as in Antalya last June, where they clinched the final qualifying ticket for Paris.
Preparing this team has been challenging, given that they have less than two months before competing in Paris. However, Norizham believes that all three archers have gained valuable lessons from their two-week training camp in Yucheon, South Korea.
During their time there, they not only experienced cold weather but also engaged in simulation matches with local clubs, as well as teams from China and Indonesia.
“I had many discussions with them, especially in Turkey, where they had their last chance to secure a spot in the Olympics. They didn’t face any pressure but enjoyed themselves because I told them they weren’t competing against other teams or archers but against themselves.
“They managed to control their emotions well, and we have good communication among ourselves, which allows them to focus on their archery techniques.
“So, I will use the same approach to avoid burdening them,” he added. – July 18, 2024