2 weeks Ago By The Straits Times
Singaporean archer Contessa Loh (second from left) wants to help grow the niche sport in the Republic. SINGAPORE – Following years of shooting arrows at regional and international meets, Contessa Loh is now taking aim at another target – to groom Singapore’s next generation of archers. The bemedalled 29-year-old has cut down on competing in 2024 as she has taken on more coaching responsibilities.
“Before that I was always focusing on myself, it’s a different kind of challenge,” said Loh, who ended Singapore’s nine-year wait for a SEA Games archery gold medal with her women’s individual compound title in Hanoi in 2022. “Now it’s taking me off the line, now other people take on the challenges that I’ve been through and I’m using my experiences to help them, especially since most of my archers are trying to turn competitive.” Loh was speaking on Oct 26, the first day of the Singapore Indoor Archery Open at OCBC Arena, where she was among 151 competitors vying for honours.
The two-day event will culminate in the high-stakes rounds – involving the archers ranked ninth and beyond who will fight for their spot in the final shoot-off – and the finals on Oct 27. Noting that archery is not a mainstream sport in Singapore, Loh’s foray into coaching is also driven by the desire to build a bigger community here and garner more support for the sport here. She mainly coaches up-and-coming youths who are starting to compete overseas, with some trying to get into the national squad.
Loh said: “I don’t mind coaching also because I still get to stay in the sport, it’s just nice to see people rise up and I like to see people do better than me, it’s more fulfilling this way.” Malaysian archer Mohd Juwaidi Mazuki, who was part of their men’s compound teams who won bronzes at the Asian Games in 2018 and 2023, is on a similar mission to grow the sport across the Causeway. The 34-year-old, who left the national set-up earlier in 2024, is also competing at the Singapore Indoor Archery Open.
While he no longer receives a regular salary, being independent has allowed him to focus on running a business that sells archery gear and provides coaching services. Like Loh, Juwaidi is still competitive, but also hopes to see more people take up the bow and arrow. He said: “I would really like to see more good archers or international-standard archers coming from my country, that’s the goal.
” Malaysian archer Mohd Juwaidi Mazuki, a two-time Asian Games bronze medallist, became independent in 2024. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI It has also been a period of transition for Chinese Taipei’s Deng Yu-cheng, another archer competing at the Singapore event. Just three years ago, the Taiwanese was part of the men’s team that snagged a silver at the Tokyo Games, only the territory’s fourth time clinching an Olympic podium spot in archery.
It was a momentous occasion for the 25-year-old, who has kept that medal among his most treasured possessions in his cupboard. While the silver had earned him more recognition, Deng has not been with the national team since he was omitted from the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023. This, however, has not dampened his competitive spirit.
With the support of his high school and university coaches, Deng is hoping to return to Japan, his happy hunting ground, as he seeks to qualify for the 2026 Asiad in Aichi-Nagoya. Recounting his Tokyo 2020 experience, he said: “It was my first time competing at the Olympics so naturally I was quite nervous. I thought since it was the first time, I wouldn’t be able to get a medal immediately but we did.
“As time passed, I’m back to just being a normal athlete again.” Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now.
