Competing and coaching is 'more fulfilling' for Loh

Following years of shooting arrows at regional and international meets, Contessa Loh is now taking aim at another target: grooming Singapore's next generation of archers.

- Kimberly Kwek

The bemedalled 29-year-old has cut down on competing in 2024 as she has taken on more coaching responsibilities.

"Before that I was always focusing on myself, it's a different kind of challenge," said Loh, who ended Singapore's nine-year wait for a SEA Games archery gold medal with her women's individual compound title in Hanoi in 2022.

"Now it's taking me off the line, now other people take on the challenges that I've been through and I'm using my experiences to help them, especially since most of my archers are trying to turn competitive."

Loh was speaking on Oct 26, the first day of the Singapore Indoor Archery Open at OCBC Arena, where she was among 151 competitors vying for honours.

This is the first time that the Archery Association of Singapore is organising this competition, with the aim of providing a platform for young local archers as well as attracting foreign ones here to lift the sport's profile.