Archery joins three other sports as Olympic medal prospects

Proud of you: Khairul Anuar Mohamad posing with his silver medal at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday. — Bernama

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s medal prospects should be brighter at next year’s Olympic Games with archery becoming the fourth sport the National Sports Council (NSC) will be counting on.

Archery joins badminton, diving and track cycling where Malaysia have a realistic chance to put our athletes on the podium in Tokyo.

Khairul Anuar Mohamad became the first Malaysian archer to win a World Archery Championships medal after shooting down a silver in windy Hertogenbosch in Holland last Sunday.

The 27-year-old Khairul, who returned home yesterday, can expect full support from the NSC after qualifying for his third Olympics.

NSC director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail said they are not just looking at Khairul as a medal prospect but also the men’s recurve team if they make the cut.

Malaysia’s recurve team qualified for the last three Olympics but Khairul, Akmal Nor Hasrin and Zarif Syahiir Zolkepeli failed to earn one of the eight early slots for the Olympics when they were eliminated in the first round in Holland.

“They have another qualification tournament in Germany next year and we hope they will qualify. We will also support the women’s team to make the cut for the first time too,” said Shapawi.

Azizulhasni Awang is another athlete to watch at the velodrome in the Tokyo.

The Terengganu lad, at 31 years of age, picked up sprint golds at the Asian Games and Asian Cycling Championships last year.

Azizul’s pet event is the keirin where he is in a comfortable position to qualify through the world rankings.

Azizul, who bagged a historic gold in keirin at the World Championships in Hong Kong in 2017, is currently ranked fourth in the world.

“We can also depend on him to finish on the Olympic podium again. Both are inspirational athletes to the younger ones as they never give up.”

The NSC also have faith in the shuttlers to rise to the occasion despite the retirement of Lee Chong Wei, who bagged silver at the last three Olympics.

The one-year qualification process has started and the main hope will be on All-England runners-up Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik to replicate the silver medal success achieved by Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong in Rio de Janeiro three years ago.

The mixed doubles is another event where Malaysia should be thinking of a medal with three pairs – Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying, Lai Pei Jing-Tan Kian Meng and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie in the running to qualify.

It is in diving where the coaches and divers really need to buck up.

Cheong Jun Hoong landed a historic gold at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary two years ago but it remains to be seen whether she is able to make a return to partner Pandelela Rinong to defend their 10m platform synchro Olympic silver medal.

The divers are now injury prone and current coaches Christian Brooker and Li Rui have a tough task to repeat the success achieved by Yang Zhuliang.

The Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia made the biggest mistake when they released Zhuliang.

Pandelela-Dhabitah struggled to impress at the Diving World Series as they failed to win a medal in all five legs.

Dhabitah however saved the blushes by winning a bronze in the 3m springboard individual in the final leg in London last month.

The NSC will surely not be amused if the divers fail to make the early Olympic cut at the world meet in Gwangju, South Korea next month.