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Thursday July 30, 2009

Wan Khalmizam saves the blushes for national elite recurve archers

By LIM TEIK HUAT

KUALA LUMPUR: Wan Khalmizam Wan Abdul Aziz saved the blushes for the national elite recurve archers when he reached the individual final in the Mini Olympic Games at the National Sports Complex Archery Range in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

Upsets were the order of the day as the competition progressed to the elimination rounds later in the afternoon.

Beijing Olympian and 2003 SEA Games gold medallist Marbawi Sulaiman was the first to be sent packing by back-up archer Zulkifli Mat Zin 95-107 in the second round. Also eliminated in the second round was fellow junior archer Mohd Izzuddin Abdul Rahim.

Izzuddin, who has been named in the provisional squad for the World Championships in Ulsan from Sept 1-9, lost 95-99 to Firdaus Ramli.

The top 32 archers advanced to the second round. Chu Sian had a bye into the third round after chalking up the second highest score in the qualification rounds earlier.

World No. 11 Chu Sian went on to beat Mohd Salam Sidik 111-106 to reach the last eight.

Chu Sian booked his place in the last four with a 107-104 win over Aiman Hafizuddin but his campaign came to a sudden end with a narrow 106-107 defeat by back-up archer Fazli Hisham Fauzi.

Fazli will slug it out with Khalmizam, who beat another upcoming junior Zulkifli Tahil 108-104 in the other semi-final match, to decide the individual title today.

Chu Sian now has to pick himself up for the bronze medal play-off against Zulkifli, runner-up in the European Grand Prix in Sofia recently.

Chu Sian, however, was not too disappointed with his failure to qualify for the gold medal contest.

“It was just not my day. I did not shoot badly but my opponent managed to score higher. It is the norm in archery as you can shoot very high scores but still be beaten to the count,” said Chu Sian.

Elite archers S. Anbarasi and Aziera Taip restored some order in the women’s individual competition when both reached the final.

Anbarasi and Aziera scored comfortable wins over Nur Amirah (101-96) and Nor Huda (109-92) in their respective semi-final matches.

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