Jordan’s female archer eyes gold in Asian Games debut

AMMAN — Jordan’s archery community is celebrating a historic moment as Diana Al Daoud steps onto the international stage, becoming the first female Jordanian archer to compete in the Asian Games.

The 19th edition of the Asian Games, which will be held in Hangzhou, China, will mark a significant milestone in the country’s sporting history as  the Jordanian female archer will make her Olympic recurve archery debut from September 23 to October 8.

Daoud has intensified her preparations in anticipation of her participation in the Asian Games, describing it as a “momentous occasion” for Jordanian archery.

“I feel an overwhelming sense of happiness and immense pride to be the first to represent Jordanian archery in the Asian Games. This accomplishment gives us, as practitioners of this sport, a great incentive to continue striving towards our dreams and aspirations in this field,” Daoud told The Jordan Times.

Archery is rapidly gaining popularity in Jordan, with an increasing number of youth showing interest in the sport, according to experts.

As the demand for archery continues to grow, a new private archery training facility was recently inaugurated in the country. 

However, the archery community is still grappling with issues related to management, funds and facilities, according to archers.

“Our facility is equipped with top-notch archery equipment and offers comprehensive coaching and training programmes for kids and beginners,” said Hamzeh Ma’ani, an archer and owner of an archery training facility in Amman, in an interview with The Jordan Times.

Ma’ani contends that the archery community lacks necessary support structures. “Although archery is relatively new in Jordan, there is a pressing need for a governing body that can effectively oversee and manage our activities,” he said.

“To fully unlock the potential of archery in Jordan, we require more investment and infrastructure,” Ma’ani added.