Indonesiaâs archery team is looking ahead to Tuesdayâs competition and is confident about gaining a positive result at the Asian Games following its recent successful outing in Poland
ndonesia's archery team is looking ahead to Tuesday's competition and is confident about gaining a positive result at the Asian Games following its recent successful outing in Poland.
During the World Cup in Wroclaw in August, Ika Yuliana Rochmawati put in a steady performance to win gold in the women's recurve by edging out Xu Jing of China and Kumari Deepika of India in the finals.
Despite the boost, the team will focus on a silver medal, given that Korea looks to be invincible in the competition.
'China and India will be our close rivals for second position in the team recurve,' team manager Leane Suniar Manurung told The Jakarta Post during practice at the Gyeyang archery field.
Ika will face stiff opposition from these two rivals. However, having appeared in two Olympic Games, she may be able to hold her nerve to secure a medal.
She qualified for the final round in Beijing 2008 where she lost to American Jennifer Nichols. Four years later in London, she advanced to the round of 16 where she lost out to Russia's Ksenia Perova.
The archery team arrived on Thursday.
'They tested the ground the following afternoon. They've trained here each day, but we are looking out for weariness. I think they've already found their aim and they are prepared for the tests to come,' Leane said.
In the women's team recurve, Ika will team up with Titik Kusumawardhani and Diananda Chairunisa.
The archery competition will begin its preliminary round on Tuesday with the finals expected the following four days, with eight gold medals on offer. The compound class will be competed in for the first time in the Asian Games.
Indonesia's medal hopes will also rest on Della Adisty Handayani, Sri Ranti, Erwina Safitri, Sisca Rona Sari, Dellie Threesya Adinda and Supriatno.
Team coach Daniel W. Lumalessil likened the Asian Games' archery competition to rivalry at the international level of the sport, 'because the world's powerful teams are from Asia.'
'In the Olympics, it is Korea that usually prevails,' he said.
He pointed out the need for composure on the part of the players.
'Training before the matches is not like daily training. Technique is not the issue anymore. We let them guide themselves during practice,' he said.
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