KUALA LUMPUR: The National Archery Association of Malaysia (NAAM) will name 16 archers for the Philippines SEA Games later this year.
NAAM secretary Datuk Abdul Hamid Hasan said the archers will compete in 10 events (five each in recurve and compound).
“The selection of athletes will be based on their current performance at international and local competitions,” said Hamid after the working committee meeting with the National Sports Council (NSC) in Bukit Jalil on Friday.
The selection of archers will be finalised in August.
In the 2017 edition in Kuala Lumpur, the national archery team won five gold medals (three in the compound and two in the recurve)
Meanwhile, the national archers will head for Kuala Terengganu on Saturday to prepare for the Archery World Championships at Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands on June 10-16.
The world meet is an Olympic qualifier for next year’s Tokyo edition.
National coach Lee Jae Hyung said his archers will be training at Sultan Zainal Abidin University (in Kuala Terengganu) field as the simulation ground for the world meet’s venue which is located near a beach which is windy.
“They will be there for 10 days to adapt with the windy conditions. After that, we will return to KL for a week before leaving for the Netherlands,” he told reporters.
Those selected for the world meet are Khairul Anuar Mohamad, Akmal Norhasrin, Zarif Syahir, Nur Aliya Ghapar, Nur Afisa Abdul Halil and Loke Shin Hui (recurve), and Juwaidi Mazuki, Zulfadhli Ruslan, Syahrizan Jafar, Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh, Iman Aisyah Norazam and Nur Aina Yasmine Halim (compound)..
The target is to qualify for the Olympics in the recurve. Bernama