National elite archer Muhamad Zarif Syahiir Zolkepeli has high hopes of winning a gold medal at the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam next month.
The mission is firmly in the sights of 23-year-old Zarif after winning silver and bronze medals respectively in the men’s team recurve and mixed team events at the 2019 SEA Games in Manila.
“My team and I are really aiming to bring home the gold medal… let’s leave the past (achievements in Manila) behind.
“We are using it to fuel our spirit to win a gold medal at the Games this year,” said Zarif, who was exuding optimism when contacted today.
On preparations for the biennial Games, Zarif, who is currently training at the National Sports Council range at Bukit Jalil, said he and another elite archer Khairul Anuar Mohamad would be participating in two simulation tournaments organised by the National Archery Association of Malaysia (NAAM) this month.
The tournaments − scheduled to be held at the NSC range on April 13-15 and April 20-22 − are a run-up to the Hanoi SEA Games, which will be held from May 12-23.
At the Manila edition, the national archers took home one gold, two silvers and one bronze.
The men’s team of Mohd Juwaidi Mazuki, Zulfadhli Ruslan and M. Khambeswaran delivered the gold medal in the compound event.
Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh (individual compound) and the men’s team recurve contributed the silver medals while the mixed team recurve managed a bronze. – Bernama
