Daniel Lim
There is a certain allure and romance when it comes to archery. From being a tool used by hunters in the past and now being seen as a recreational activity, archery has continued to captivate the public.
As a sport enjoyed for centuries, there are challenges and dangers that must be addressed to ensure safe and responsible play. One group that has taken the challenge of educating and nurturing the next generation of archers in the nation is Ar-Rafi Archery Brunei.
Established on September 8, 2017, Ar-Rafi, one of the first archery clubs in the country, has since expanded with its Indoor Academy.
The club hosted an archery roadshow in the Belait District in collaboration with the Language and Literature Bureau (DBP) Library in Kampong Pandan recently.
During the roadshow, the club’s Assistant Officer of Marketing at the club Nur Irdina Akmal Sorfina binti Saman said, “The roadshow aims to help create awareness on archery, especially in the Belait District.” She said the roadshow was an opportunity for the public to learn about archery and try out the games associated with it. Some of these include ‘Fun Shoot’ as well as ‘Robin Shoot’, where the latter involves visitors shooting at targets to gain points.
Another activity the club conducted during the roadshow was educating the public on the history of archery.
As Nur Irdina Akmal Sorfina explained, this relates to the history of archery in relation to records found in Islam, as well as an accompanying quiz to test the participants on their newfound knowledge.
With the growing interest in archery across the nation, the club’s academy, located at Kampong Jangsak, provides a variety of syllabi and courses to educate participants on archery, especially related to safety.
Speaking on the challenges in teaching and learning about archery, Nur Irdina Akmal Sorfina said, “With the huge surge of interest in archery, it can be difficult to properly educate archers on the importance of safety. We prioritise safety, not only for ourselves but also the participants and the environment.” She said there is a probability that people who delve into archery are not fully aware of the dangers.
Assistant Coach Siti Nur Khadijah binti Asmat @ Majidah said they have strived to do their best in highlighting the safety aspects of archery, especially among the younger generation.
“One of the biggest challenges is teaching kids. They might not be able to pick up the skills as quickly as adults, but also in their attention span,” said the assistant coach. To overcome this, Siti Nur Khadijah said the roadshow helped instil the safety mindset early, in addition to teaching the most basic skills.
Nur Irdina Akmal Sorfina said the interest in archery has continued to rise among the public since the end of the pandemic. “I think this is because people are starting to be aware of archery,” she said.
“What we do is more than just archery lessons. There are games and team-building activities that can help build confidence as well as how archery is deeply rooted in the Islamic religion.”
