KHAIRUL Anuar Mohamad’s persistent shoulder injury refuses to go away but the national recurve archer will not let pain stand in his way towards creating Asian Games history for Malaysia.
The country has yet to win a medal in the sport but if Khairul can stay pain-free for the duration of the event, he could end that barren run in Incheon.
After winning two gold medals at last year’s Sea Games, Khairul was laid low by injury for three months before returning to make the World Cup semi-finals in Medellin, Colombia in May, his best performance this year.
The following month, Khairul helped Malaysia reach the team semi-finals in Antalya, Turkey.
“I have to say it’s still a problem,” said Khairul, 23, who has been in Incheon training with his teammates for the last two weeks.
“I just have to watch it during training and pace myself. If I feel discomfort, then I stop.
“The doctors says the pain is due to chronic overuse. They can’t pinpoint the problem so surgery is not an option for now.
“It’s been a problem since just before the (2012) London Olympics. At last year’s Sea Games, I was also in pain and I could not train for three months after that.
“Of course, I worry that the pain could become unbearable during the tournament. But with physiotherapy and the right equipment, I think I can cope with it.”
Coach Lee Jae-Hyung expressed confidence in Khairul’s ability to win an individual medal and the archer said he hopes to prove his coach right.
“The coach is always saying that this is the place for me to prove myself and win a medal,” said Khairul, who will be making his Asian Games debut.
“If I feel comfortable and the conditions are right, I’m confident I can deliver. It all depends on the day itself because in archery, you can be doing well in the morning but not in the evening. You can lose your form in an instant.”
Khairul will have Haziq Kamaruddin, Atiq Bazil Bakri and Ikram Joni for company during the competition which begins on Tuesday.