KUANTAN – After 68 years since Malaysia first joined the Olympics in 1956, the women’s archery team have finally qualified for the international Games.
The young squad will join the nation’s contingent in Paris in July, marking a historic milestone for Malaysian sports.
Since Malaysia began consistently fielding archery representatives at the Olympic Games from the 2004 Athens edition onward, team events have predominantly featured the men’s teams.
However, this dynamic changed when Malaysia’s trio of archers competed in the recurve event at the Paris Olympic Qualification Tournament in Antalya, Turkey.
The team, comprising young talents Ariana Nur Dania Mohamad Zairi, 18, Nurul Azreena Mohamad Fazil, 20, and Tokyo Olympian Syaqiera Mashayikh, 24, showcased stellar performances from the second round, having received a bye in the first.
Notably, Ariana had already etched her name in history by securing a slot for the Paris Olympic Games through the women’s individual recurve event at the Asian Qualification Zone in Bangkok, Thailand, last year.
The young Malaysian squad defeated Vietnam 5-3 to advance to the quarter-finals.
Subsequently, they swept aside Colombia, featuring Ana Maria Rendon, Valentina Acosta Giraldo, and Maira Sepulveda, with a commanding 6-0 victory to reach the semi-finals yesterday, which secured their place at the Olympics.
Furthermore, they successfully defeated Great Britain in the semi-finals before narrowly losing 5-4 to China in a closely contested final which was also held yesterday, settling for a well-deserved silver medal.
“It’s all about communication among teammates. During the quarter-finals earlier, we were able to read each other’s emotions and knew how to control the situation.
“Some of us were nervous, but even in that state, we managed to shoot and win against Colombia.
“Alhamdulillah, in the semi-finals, we also succeeded in defeating Great Britain. So, as I mentioned earlier, it’s all about communication to avoid misunderstandings among teammates.
“After qualifying for the Olympics, our coach simply told us to enjoy the moment. It’s a very rare opportunity to qualify for the Olympics as a team,” said Ariana to Scoop.
However, the task is not yet complete for the Malaysian women’s team of archers as they are gearing up to face another challenge – the World Cup at the same venue in Antalya.
This will be their final tournament before heading to Paris to join Malaysia’s contingent, where they will proudly raise the Jalur Gemilang at the world’s largest sporting event.
“So, after returning to Malaysia, we, as a team, will do our final preparations for the Olympics.
“However, we still have the World Cup Stage III next Tuesday, which could be our last appearance as a team before the Olympics. We will give our best effort there,” she added. – Jun 15, 2024