KUALA LUMPUR – The national archery squad may opt not to use the custom grips developed by the National Sports Institute (NSI) as they prepare for the individual qualifying round of the Paris Olympics, which starts tomorrow.
Speaking to Scoop, coach Norizham Ishak disclosed that his athletes – Ariana Nur Dania Mohamad Zairi, Nurul Azreena Mohamad Fazil and Syaqiera Mashayikh – had tested the new grips but required more time to adapt.
As a result, Norizham indicated they were likely to stick with their old grips on their bows for tomorrow’s qualifying rounds.
The NSI’s custom-made grips were introduced during the Team MAS launch last June, alongside the new WX-R Vorteq bicycles for the national track cycling squad.
“We have tried the custom-made grips, and there are benefits to using them. However, I feel we haven’t had enough time to fully adjust because we need to finalise our equipment set-up.
“For the individual event, I don’t think everyone can use them. We have tested them, and I feel there is still room for improvement. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that they are bad, they are good, but for the long term, we need more time to get accustomed to them.
“Yes, we may not take the risk,” Norizham told Scoop.
In tomorrow’s qualifying event at the Esplanade des Invalides, all three archers will compete against 61 other archers from around the world to determine their ranking for the single-elimination bracket.
The three Malaysians will come together again on Sunday to compete in the women’s team event. – July 25, 2024