KUALA LUMPUR – “Even during my sleep, I always think of winning a medal for Malaysia in all the tournaments that I compete in.”
This relentless drive fueled national para archer G. Daneshen’s rigorous training, determination and focus, leading him on a remarkable journey which culminated in his qualification for this year’s Paris Paralympics.
The 26-year-old qualified for the games in Paris after winning silver in the men’s compound event at the 8th Fazza Para Archery World Ranking Tournament in Dubai earlier this month.
Ranked world number 32, Daneshen lost to Austria’s Michael Meier 133-143 in the final.
He overcame Thailand’s Sakon Inkaew 140-139 in the semi-finals and Wu Chung Hung of Taiwan 138-136 in the quarter-finals.
Growing up as the son of a lorry driver from Kulim and coping with the effects of polio during childhood, which led to deformities in his legs, Daneshen often faced bullying at school which significantly impacted his studies.
Archery proved to be a way out for Daneshen in which he has been fully focused on the sport since he was 17.
“Archery has always been my way of proving myself and getting away from the judgemental society that thinks that people like me can never succeed in life.
“Sports saved me a lot, and I always feel liberated whenever I represent my country in all the tournaments I compete in. Even during my sleep, I always think of winning a medal for Malaysia in all the tournaments I compete in, and that’s what has brought me now to Paris.
“Without my coaches and family, I would not be in this situation right now, and I give full credit to them for supporting me and moulding me into a strong person.
“I have never qualified for the Paralympics before, and I would like to use this wonderful experience to build myself more and to be an inspiration to everyone out there who thinks they can’t succeed in life,” said Daneshen when contacted.
Daneshen also said that his main aim now is to maintain his consistency and keep pushing himself to the maximum to bring glory to the country in this year’s Paralympics.
“What matters the most to me now is getting the highest score possible for myself and the country.
“I already have experience giving a high-scoring performance throughout my career, but I don’t want to go through a culture shock in Paris.
“I want to remain focused and hope to maintain the same score that I have been producing over the years.
“This is a dream come true moment for me, but I don’t want to carry too much of an expectation of winning the gold medal.
“For me, I would like to take this as an experience and keep competing in the Paralympics as long as I can.
“I want to enter this tournament with a positive mindset and just give my maximum with the help of my coaches,” Daneshen added.
Daneshen is the third Malaysian para archer to qualify for Paris 2024, with the other two being the 2019 world champion S. Suresh and Nur Jannaton Abd Jalil in the men’s recurve and women’s compound events, respectively.
This year’s Paralympics is scheduled to take place from August 28 to September 8. – March 17, 2024