Bull's-eyes for aces
Jassmine Shadiqe
2009/01/17
CALLING all Robin Hood wannabes -- those with a passion for archery should head to Ace Achery, the city's first indoor archery centre.
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| AFFORDABLE SPORT: Ace Archery is Johor Baru’s first indoor archery centre. It costs only RM12 to shoot 12 arrows. |
Some 70 Johoreans have become sharpshooters after joining Ace Archery since it opened its doors last Merdeka Day.
Archery is not for adrenaline junkies as the sport requires precision and keeping one's nerves in check.
The centre, for beginners, amateurs and also professionals, is now operating at the Danga City Mall.
Operating between noon and 11pm daily, Ace Archery has 14 platforms that are 12m away from the target face.
Besides target faces, archers can also take a shot at drinking cans.
Archery is historically a hunting and combat sport but is now more of a precision sport.
A person practising archery is called an archer or bowman, and one who is fond of or an expert at archery is sometimes called a toxophilite.
Ace Archery is run by Mark Teh, who has represented Malaysia in the sport since 2006, after picking up archery six years earlier.
He was part of the national archery squad that represented the country in the 2003 Sea Games.
If you have no idea about archery but are keen to discover the sport, Ace employs trained personnel who are willing to give free coaching.
Archery is an art and a sport of patience, thus it is perfect for someone who is 7 or 70.
An average standard beginner's recurve bow with 12 arrows and safety gear goes for between RM1,000 and RM3,000. At Ace Archery, one can shoot 12 arrows at RM5 person, while children above 7 and below 12, pay only RM3.
The fee includes safety gear such as fingers tab, arm guard and also chest guard.
Teh also provides archery lessons.
He said there were several categories in archery, including outdoor and indoors, plus compound archery and recurve archery.
Compound archery uses a compound bow. It is characterised by a system of cams and pulleys, which have the effect that the draw weight decreases.
Four lessons in compound archery, priced at RM120, will enable one to understand how to handle a bow, and one hopes, score 120 points -- a full score in archery.
Archery is played in three sets in a game, with the highest points achievable at 360.
At Ace, there is a separate place for professional archers.
Ace also offers discounts for groups. For RM50 for 150 arrows and a bow for each, 12 people can compete against each other for a good time.
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