Kuala lumpur: Experienced national compound archer Mohd Juwaidi Mazuki has set his sights on winning his first individual Asian Games medal when he makes his fourth appearance at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 edition from Sept 19 to Oct 4. Mohd Juwaidi, who made his Asian Games debut at the 2014 Incheon edition before competing in Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and Hangzhou 2022, said he had yet to win a medal in the individual event.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohd Juwaidi expressed his determination to secure an individual medal, marking it as his primary target. For the team event, he aims to either maintain their previous achievement-a bronze medal-or improve upon it. He noted the presence of several new faces in the team this time, emphasizing the significance of their contribution to the team's dynamics.
Mohd Juwaidi highlighted the current focus on ensuring that his technique and equipment are in optimal condition before the national squad begins a training camp in South Korea on Sept 5. The 36-year-old athlete, who also won a bronze in the men's team event at the 2018 edition, stressed the importance of early preparations to maintain technical consistency rather than making extensive changes to his shooting technique during the camp.
'We are trying to get everything ready before heading to the training camp so that there will be less work on the 'shooting form' there and more focus on maintaining the technical aspects,' he said. He emphasized the crucial role of the technical aspect, acknowledging the impact of even minor changes to equipment or technical settings on performance, including for experienced archers like himself.
In Japan, Mohd Juwaidi will team up with Alang Ariff Aqil Muhammad Ghazalli and Muhammad Aiman Syafiq Mohd Tariki in the men's team event. In the mixed team event, which also offers a qualification slot for the 2028 Olympic Games, he will partner with Fatin Nurfatehah Mat Salleh. He mentioned that the battle for Olympic berths, awarded only to the gold medallists, is expected to be intense, with powerhouse archery nations such as India and South Korea also competing.