KUALA LUMPUR – National archer Zarif Syahiir Zolkepli shoulders a weighty responsibility as captain, tasked with guiding his much younger teammates toward qualifying for the Paris Olympic Games in July.
At 25 years old, Zarif told Scoop he acknowledges the significant shift in dynamics within the archery team following the departure of several senior members.
Previously, 2019 World Championship runner-up Khairul Annuar Mohamad reportedly moved on after his contract with the National Sports Council was not renewed, while Akmal Nor Hasrin opted to take on the role of head coach for Negeri Sembilan’s archery team.
Additionally, Zarif had to cope with the loss of his dear senior Haziq Kamaruddin who tragically died in 2021, just two months before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The archer also finds himself tasked with mentoring newer teammates such as Muhammad Syafiq Busthamin, Muhammad Danish Amsyar Norazlan, and Mohamad Firdaus Mohd Rusmadi – all still relatively inexperienced on the international level.
The quartet will face three World Cup series starting in Shanghai, China on April 23 to 28, followed by Yecheon, South Korea on May 21 to 26, and concluding in Antalya, Turkey on June 15 to 16.
These events represent their final chance to secure qualification for the Paris Olympics.
“I feel the weight of this responsibility. Previously, I had seniors who could guide me, and I could refer to them for any problems I faced. But now everything has changed.
“Now, I have to bear that responsibility. For me, there’s no distinction between senior and junior because we’re all in this together.
“For any problems we encounter, I will try to seek input from coaches for solutions.
“For me, it’s like starting from scratch to build the national archery team. Although there’s a gap in skills, we try to mentor each other to achieve good results.
“Even though this is a new team, I feel that we have a chance for the Olympics.
“They show high commitment during training sessions and help each other, and the team bonding is excellent. It’s not impossible for us to qualify for Paris,” Zarif told Scoop.
Currently, only one national archer has qualified for Paris 2024 – women’s recurve archer Ariana Nur Dania Mohamad Zairi who secured a slot during the continental qualification round in Bangkok, Thailand last November. – April 7, 2024