KUCHING: Sarawak’s para archery squad enters the upcoming Para SUKMA with realistic medal hopes, with coach Razmi Amit encouraged by the team’s growth since its formation in 2022.
Razmi said the squad had grown from just one athlete in 2022 to seven this year, reflecting the state’s gradual development in para archery.
“For the 2024 edition, we had only three athletes, but this time the para team has increased to seven,” he said during an intensive training session at SMK Jalan Arang here recently.
The current squad comprises three male recurve archers, three female recurve archers and one male compound archer.
Razmi said the team was targeting at least two medals, with the women’s individual and mixed team events identified as its main opportunities.
He added that the men’s individual event could also provide a medal opportunity, although he remained cautious about making firm predictions.
“For the men’s individual event, there is also a chance, but I do not want to say too much because anything can happen,” he said.
Razmi said the team was still developing and had yet to reach its ideal strength of 12 athletes.
“We are still building the team. Ideally, we want a full squad of 12, so there are still places to fill.
“This is also part of our planning because we need athletes who can back each other up. If we rely on just one athlete, we are worried about what might happen,” he said.
Despite being relatively new, Razmi said the squad had made steady progress since its establishment four years ago.
“Para archery in Sarawak is still new. We only started in 2022, so we have had about four years to develop the team.
“We are not yet at full strength, but the progress is there, and we hope to continue building the squad,” he said.
The seven-member Sarawak Para Archery squad comprises Vicky Ran Jeffry, Gillbelson Alvin and Sylvester Louis Sibat in the men’s recurve; Nur Ezzatul Farishah Busrah, Sharrylnja Aerica Simon Aleh and Victoria Annabel Nuri in the women’s recurve; and Dylan Lawai Ditum in the men’s compound.
