January 23, 2009
Jakarta Globe - Archers Target Greater Interest
In what discipline did Indonesia win its first ever Olympic medal? If you
guessed badminton, the national sport, you would be incorrect.
It was the women’s archery team that gave the country its first Olympic
medal — a silver — in 1988 at the Summer Olympics in Seoul.
More than 20 years later, few Indonesians think of the bow and its flying
arrows as sporting equipment, associating them more with Robin Hood and
medieval times, or Legolas in “The Lord of the Rings” movies.
But the fun, modern sport of archery can be learned and practiced in the
middle of Jakarta, on a field tucked away behind other facilities at the
Senayan Sports Complex in the city’s south.
Danang, an archery coach, spends almost all of his free time on the field.
When he talks about the sport, it sounds like an addiction.
“I love it too much,” he says. “I could never ever stop.”
Dante, a student of Danang’s, helps him promote the sport.
He first became interested in archery while holidaying in Bali a few years
back.
“I was staying at a hotel where they offered many activities for guests,”
Dante said.
“I tried different things. When I tried archery, I was fascinated. I
didn’t do anything else for the rest of my holiday. And when I came back
to Jakarta, I immediately started looking for a place where I could
continue.”
Eventually he found the Jakarta Private Archery Club in Senayan, a club
established by Danang, who has been involved with the sport since he was a
teenager.
‘The most important thing is to relax and not take it too seriously’
Danang, archery coach
Recalling his very first lessons at the archery club, Dante said he had to
laugh.
“I was really bad,” he admitted.
“Coach Danang even asked me why I wanted to do this. But I was too
ambitious to give up.”
Students are first taught the basics: how to hold the bow the right way,
how to bend it and how to release the arrow.
The target they shoot at is only 10 meters away.
There is even a correct technique for removing arrows from the target to
prevent damage.
“For starters, it is not so important that you hit the target — the most
important thing is your form, your movements,” Dante said.
“You have to be very patient if you want to learn archery.”
Patience is the key — for both the students and the coach.
Despite his years of experience, Danang has an unassuming coaching style.
He and his assistant repeatedly showed a little girl, who came to the
archery field with her entire family it seems, the right moves.
After shooting practice, Danang usually takes students through stretches
that are designed to reduce the tension in their bodies.
“There is no excellence in archery without great labor,” Maurice Thompson
wrote in 1879 in “The Witchery of Archery.”
While there is no denying that archery is a physically demanding sport,
the fun factor shouldn’t be overlooked.
“The most important thing is to relax and not take it too seriously,”
Danang said. “After all, you are here to have fun.”
Archery was used for hunting and as a weapon in ancient times. The English
were famous for their successful archers. But inevitably the bow as a
weapon of war was soon replaced with pistols and rifles, as they were more
accurate and reliable.
Archery became a popular sport instead.
Archery first appeared in the Olympics in 1900 in Paris, but was later
dropped because there was no fixed set of international rules. In 1972,
archery returned as an Olympic discipline, and now features in both the
summer and winter Olympics.
The club has both local and expatriate members — but not many of either.
“I think one of the reasons why people are not too interested in archery
is the fact that the equipment is rather expensive,” Dante said.
“The local bows and arrows aren’t such good quality, and the imported ones
cost more, of course.”
Nonetheless, Danang and Dante are intent on seeing archery take off in
Indonesia.
“We are also trying to reach the younger generation now, we want to go
into high schools to promote archery,” Dante said. “Archery helps them
concentrate and focus.”
The club also offers in-house archery training for schools and companies —
both for groups and individuals.
“Anyone who wants to try archery can call us and make an appointment. We
would be happy to give them a free trial,” Dante said.
|
Jakarta Archery 