By Marlynda Meraw
KUCHING, Sept 24: Joey Tan Xing Lei, a prominent name in archery, has recently showcased her exceptional skills by clinching gold with a remarkable 645 points in the 70m recurve women’s category at the recent Malaysian Games (Sukma) XXI Sarawak 2024.
Despite this impressive achievement, Joey, at only 17, remains driven by a desire for continuous improvement.
While this year’s Sukma victory was notable, Joey feels that her performance fell short compared to her stellar performance at the previous 2022 Sukma in Kuala Lumpur, where she secured three gold medals in the 70m recurve, recurve team, recurve mixed team categories, along with a silver in the individual women’s recurve.
In 2023, her triumphs extend beyond Sukma, with gold medals at the Singapore Archery Open in September and the 23rd Sarawak Outdoor Archery Championship in December of the same year.
Reflecting on this year’s Sukma, Joey acknowledges that she could not have done better.
“I think it’s also because my focus had shifted toward studies, unlike in the previous Sukma,” she shared, citing the challenge of balancing her sports career with her academic commitments, as this year marks her Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) examination year.
She remains optimistic about improving her performance in sports by gaining more experience through future competitions.
Pirouettes to precision, Joey’s shift into archery
Joey’s journey into archery began in 2014, sparked by family influence. Her brother, already an archery enthusiast, inspired her to join him at their local club in Miri. Although she initially could not find love in the sport, archery gradually became a central part of her life.
“I never thought I would be involved in archery for so long. If it was not for archery, I would probably just focus on my studies like most people my age. I really couldn’t think of what else I would be involved in,” said Joey, reflecting on her unexpected path into archery.
Though her childhood passion for dancing has faded into the past, Joey has recently discovered pickleball through her brother’s varied interests. She enjoys the sport and might consider it as a hobby if time permits.
Her commitment to archery involves a demanding schedule. Training five days a week, she starts her day at 5:30 am, attends school until 2pm, and trains until 6pm. Evenings are filled with tuition classes and homework, while weekends are dedicated to extended training sessions from 9am to 5pm. On non-training days, she focuses on her studies or attends extra tuition classes.
Regardless of her busy schedule, Joey maintains a balanced diet, though she doesn’t necessarily follow a strict regimen. Unlike other sports such as gymnastics, where physique is crucial, archers focus on fitness routines that include jogging and push-ups after each session.
Future goals and pearls of wisdom
After SPM, Joey looks forward to attending a concert by her favourite singer-songwriter, Hua Chen Yu, a dream she is eager to fulfil.
Having faced her own share of mistakes, Joey offers sage advice to aspiring young talents: “Jangan sombong” (Don’t be arrogant). She reflects on a valuable lesson learned from a past mistake during a Malaysian School Sports Council (MSSM) competition, where overconfidence led to a costly error.
“This experience taught me a valuable lesson about maintaining focus and humility, regardless of past achievements,” she emphasised, expressing her gratitude for the unwavering support of her coaches and family, regardless of the outcome of her games. — DayakDaily
