KUALA LUMPUR: National Archery Association of
Malaysia (NAAM) president Tan Sri Abdul Halil Abdul Mutalib has assured
that archery can be the third sport after badminton and diving to
contribute an Olympic Games medal.
NAAM’s assurance came after signing a new partnership with sports promoter BP Sports Asia in a bid to raise awareness and make the sport more popular ahead of the Rio Games in 2016. The partnership will also facilitate the organising and marketing of national competitions.
The collaboration, which will run until 2016 with an option to extend for another two years, will enable NAAM to concentrate on producing top class archers.
“With the assistance of BP Sports, it will be easier for us to focus on delivering the elusive Olympic medal,” said Abdul Halil after witnessing the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding at the National Sports Council in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
“Our pledge is to deliver a medal in Rio 2016, regardless of its colour but we hope for a gold. Our bet will be on Khairul Anuar (Mohamed), who is the world No. 5 and the men’s recurve team, now ranked seventh in the world.
“The recurve team showed promising signs by winning the silver at the Stage 3 World Cup in Medellin, Colombia, last month.”
Abdul Halil said that more effort will be put in to improve other aspects rather than just focusing on the men’s recurve team. This includes strengthening the women’s recurve team and the compound team.
He added that they need to prepare a strong compound team for the discipline in the Incheon Asian Games next year.
“The standard of our women’s recurve archers is far behind, but I think we have enough time to form a strong women’s squad and get them to qualify for the Rio Olympics,” he said.
“As for the compound team, although the discipline is not in the Olympics, it will be given equal attention as it has been accepted in the Asian Games.”
THE STAR
NAAM’s assurance came after signing a new partnership with sports promoter BP Sports Asia in a bid to raise awareness and make the sport more popular ahead of the Rio Games in 2016. The partnership will also facilitate the organising and marketing of national competitions.
The collaboration, which will run until 2016 with an option to extend for another two years, will enable NAAM to concentrate on producing top class archers.
“With the assistance of BP Sports, it will be easier for us to focus on delivering the elusive Olympic medal,” said Abdul Halil after witnessing the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding at the National Sports Council in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
“Our pledge is to deliver a medal in Rio 2016, regardless of its colour but we hope for a gold. Our bet will be on Khairul Anuar (Mohamed), who is the world No. 5 and the men’s recurve team, now ranked seventh in the world.
“The recurve team showed promising signs by winning the silver at the Stage 3 World Cup in Medellin, Colombia, last month.”
Abdul Halil said that more effort will be put in to improve other aspects rather than just focusing on the men’s recurve team. This includes strengthening the women’s recurve team and the compound team.
He added that they need to prepare a strong compound team for the discipline in the Incheon Asian Games next year.
“The standard of our women’s recurve archers is far behind, but I think we have enough time to form a strong women’s squad and get them to qualify for the Rio Olympics,” he said.
“As for the compound team, although the discipline is not in the Olympics, it will be given equal attention as it has been accepted in the Asian Games.”
THE STAR
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