By: Mike Paul
SEREMBAN, Dec 30 – The Enforcement, Leadership and Management University (ELMU) will organise the ELMU Challenge Cup Archery Championship next year, aiming to nurture young talent and boost community engagement in archery.
ELMU’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Dr. Kassim Noor Mohamed, highlighted that the initiative begins with the formation of the Archery Club of ELMU (ACE), which will be open to archery enthusiasts nationwide.
“We aim to hone new talent among the youth with the hope of producing athletes capable of competing on an international level. This initiative serves as a platform to cultivate their interest through ACE, which is expected to encourage the development of archery in schools and higher education institutions,” he said at the closing ceremony of the National Field Archery Championship @ELMU 2024 (NFAC @ELMU 2024) held at the ELMU campus in Bandar Enstek, Nilai.
NFAC @ELMU 2024 was jointly organised by ELMU, the National Archery Association of Malaysia (NAAM) and ELMU Foundation, in collaboration with Yayasan Prihatin SPRM
Shiz Kassim, Chairman of NFAC @ELMU 2024, remarked on the impressive skills showcased by emerging talents in the tournament, noting that they posed strong competition to veteran archers, including national players.
“The competition is stiff and unexpected. This event has showcased many new talents demonstrating extraordinary skills in this sport. A total of 75 participants, including two from abroad – one from the Philippines and one from Brunei – competed in various categories with a high spirit of sportsmanship,” he said.
Khairul Anuar Mohamad, 33, a seasoned archer and multiple-time international champion, secured victory in the men’s recurve category with 684 points. Despite his past gold medals at the Asian Championships, he expressed pride in this recent achievement, though he voiced concerns over limited public and private sector support for archery.
“Government support for archery is still lacking. They focus more on major tournaments like the Olympics, Asian Games, and SEA Games, while there are competitions on the world stage that enjoy participation by international archers. Therefore, ELMU’s efforts in organising this tournament are commendable, especially in providing a challenging venue and additional facilities,” Khairul said.
Norhisyam Ismail, 39, who won the men’s barebow category and has earned accolades at national and international tournaments, echoed Khairul’s sentiments.
“This tournament exposes the community to the importance of corporate involvement in advancing sports, especially archery. With sponsorship from corporate entities, this sport has the potential to grow further and become a breeding ground for world-class field archers,” Norhisyam stated.
Maryam Amani Mokhridzal Alfie, 14, gold medallist in the under-18 women’s recurve category, expressed gratitude for the support she received from her parents and mentors.
“This is just the beginning, which will serve as motivation for upcoming tournaments. Alhamdulillah, I am very grateful for this success. There is much more I need to improve on. I am determined to better myself and enhance my performance,” she said.
- TNS News