Archery joins hockey on sidelines

2009/11/26

QUALIFYING for the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore is proving to be tougher than the Olympic Games itself after the Malaysian junior archery and hockey squads came a cropper in recent qualification tournaments. Only continental champions will qualify for most of the 26 sports to be featured at the inaugural Under-18 multi-event sporting event modelled on the Olympic Games.

This is mainly due to the restriction to the total number of competitors for the Games with only five qualifying spots available for hockey while the archery field comprises 24 archers only.

Hockey failed to qualify after finishing runners- up to Pakistan at the Under-18 Asia Cup in Yangon while the archers failed to make the cut at the Asian Cadet Championships in Bali.

But National Sports Council director- general Datuk Zolkples Embong is not pressing the panic button yet as a number of sports have yet to hold their qualification competitions.

“This is the first time this event is being held so we have no basis of comparison in terms how many can qualify.

The small number of qualifying places available is also making it difficult for our athletes to qualify.

“In fact, it is easier to qualify for the Olympic Games than the Youth Olympics. For example, hockey is only a six-team competition (including the hosts) and despite finishing runners- up in the recent qualification tournament, our team did not qualify.” he said yesterday.

Six national junior sailors are currently competing in the week-long Asian qualifiers for the boys and girls one-person dinghy event in Pattaya where only the top three in each event qualify for Singapore.