PISTOL shooter Eddy Chew will find himself in illustrious company at the Asian Games but the youngster is not fazed by the big names gathered in Incheon.
Eddy, 19, was a surprise gold medalist in the 50m pistol at the Sea Games last year when he also won a silver and two bronze medals.
He followed that by finishing a commendable fourth at the Commonwealth Games in the 10m air pistol though he could have stood on the podium but for his final score of 16.5, his lowest in the final.
“It was the third time I have been in that position and the third time I failed,” said Eddy, referring to the Sea Games 10m air pistol final and the Asian Shot-gun Championships in Kuwait this year as he momentarily forgot his winning exploits.
“To get into the final here would be quite a feat. Seven of the eight finalists at the World Cup this year were Asians, and they will all be competing here.
“I’ve only ever beaten one of them before, China’s Pang Wei. So if I can make the final (top-eight) here I would have done very well.”
Eddy, who was introduced to shooting as a nine-year-old by his father, said he is excited to be making his Asian Games debut but admits to a bout of nervousness.
“I think I am well prepared but also nervous at the same time,” he said after arriving at Incheon Airport yesterday.
“I was also a bit nervous at the Commonwealth Games but I will do my best to get to the final.”
Malaysia have only ever won one silver and two bronze medals in Asian Games shooting.
Trap shooter Peter Lim won silver in 1986, the men’s skeet team of Ally Ong, Stanley Lim, Yap Pow Thong and Edmond Yong got bronze in 1974 while Nur Suryani Taibi won the women’s 10m air rifle bronze in 2010.
Eddy is joined by Johnathan Wong and Choo Wen Yan in the men’s 10m and 50m pistol events.
Women rifle shooters Nur Suryani, Nur Ayuni Farhana Halim and Muslifah Zulkifli will also be looking to win medals.
The other members of the squad are men’s rifle shooters Hadafi Jaafar, Ezuan Nasir Khan and Zubair Muhammad, women’s pistol shooter Alia Sazana Azahari and men’s trap father-and-son duo Edward Khor and Benjamin Khor.