Archers during practice rounds at the field archery meet in Fraser’s Hill.
IN a historic move, Malaysia’s first-ever national field archery championship was hosted on the lush greens of the country’s oldest golf course, drawing 114 archers from the Recurve, Compound, and Barebow divisions.
This groundbreaking event, organised by the National Archery Association of Malaysia (NAAM) and supported by the Pahang State Tourism Board, unfolded over three exhilarating days in Fraser’s Hill, Pahang.
The event organiser, Jeff Zaiham Jamaluddin, said the championship aimed to scout and groom talents for international competitions.
With archers ranked and their personal bests recorded in an online repository, the event set a new benchmark in Malaysia’s archery field.
Under the watchful eyes of NAAM’s qualified judges, participants navigated a challenging course with 24 targets across 12 checkpoints, adhering strictly to World Archery rules.
This format, distinct from traditional target archery, tested the archers’ agility and precision as they moved through the course, each shot clocked with a three-minute deadline.
The championship started with a technical briefing led by the chief judge, followed by practice sessions.
Barebow Women and Master’s double gold medalist Michelle Lau
Over the next two days, the air was thick with excitement as archers from various divisions showcased their skills, aiming for the top ranks in this debut national-level field archery event.
Highlights included Mohd Azreen Mohamad Nasir from Perak clinching gold in the Men’s Recurve division, while Jerod Lau Wen Xi from Best Archery Academy took silver, and his teammate Edward Loh Er Shing earned a bronze medal.
University Putra Malaysia student Nurhazira Ismail dominated the Women’s Recurve, while Cheah Kim Looi from Best Archery Academy earned silver, and her teammate Niam Zianne came in with the bronze medal.
In the Men’s Compound division, veteran archer Rudi Hakimi Mohd Nasrumi emerged victorious while Kuala Lumpur’s Azman Hasan came in with silver, while Kelantan’s Muhammad Hafiz Rusli bagged the bronze medal.
Rudi Hakimi said he grabbed the opportunity to compete in Fraser’s Hill as it was a chance of a lifetime.
“It was surreal. We shot in the fog, and the weather was so cold. It was as if I was shooting my bow in England,” he exclaimed.
The Barebow division saw one of the largest turnouts, with 30 archers vying for top ranks.
Archers take their shots at long-distance target faces placed around the Field Archery course.
Sahairi Harun, representing the Royal Malaysian Police team, stood out by winning gold in both the Men’s Barebow and the Master’s class. Silver went to Mohd Rosle Halim of Perak, and Razyrul Hisham Ramli from Kelantan took home the bronze.
Sahairi, celebrating his dual gold victory, praised his accuracy across the challenging 24-target course, highlighting the difficulty of hitting targets set on steep inclines, which demanded exceptional skill to score high.
Subang Barebow Archer’s Michelle Lau made history as a double gold medalist in the Women’s Barebow and Master’s division, while Negeri Sembilan’s Umi Hafizah Mat Sahat bagged the silver.
Lau, who had taken a long break from archery, said she had little time to train for the event.
“I kept my misses on the target to a minimum. Checkpoints where small targets were placed at short distances were the trickiest.”
Their achievements highlighted the intricate skill required to master the course’s diverse and challenging terrain.
As the event concluded, plans for the next championship were already under way, with aspirations to hold it in Fraser’s Hill again and ambitions to elevate it to international stature.
Field archery, a sport cherished in nations across the globe, from the United States to New Zealand, has found a new frontier in this country, promising a future filled with more thrilling competitions and international acclaim.
