CHENG Chu Sian will be relieved to know that the London Olympics archery programme is to be held during the day after his night-vision problem denied him a place in the World Cup final in Shanghai earlier this month.
Cheng Chu Sian is suffering from a night-vision problem.
A double gold medalist at the Indonesia Sea Games last year, Chu Sian inadvertently let it slip that his poor night-vision cost him a possible World Cup victory when asked to comment on his performance in Shanghai, where he finished third in the individual recurve for a new personal best at a World Cup event.
"It was very cold there, colder than usual. We have been to Shanghai before but it was not as cold. I adapted after a while but my teammates were not used to that type of conditions.
"We suffered a bit during the qualification round but in the Olympic round, the cold did not bother me as much. Rather, it was the lighting that became a problem because it was close to 7pm by the time the semi-finals started.
"They turned on the spotlights and the glare affected me because I don't really see as well at night. That probably cost me a place in the final as I sensed the American archer (World No 1 Brady Ellison, his semi-final opponent) was a little nervous," said Chu Sian after the launch of the NSC-100Plus "Jejak Ke London" television series yesterday.
When pressed on whether the night-vision problem has been a long-standing issue, Chu Sian, 26, said: "Well, I know my father has night-vision problems but I myself never had it checked. We found out about the retina thing rather unexpectedly after the Sea Games when I underwent a routine medical check-up.
"I used to get headaches before but we fixed that with the retina detachment surgery although the night-vision problem is still there," said Chu Sian before hurriedly adding that he was not supposed to discuss his vision problems.
A check of the Olympic schedule showed that the archery preliminaries begin at 9am, the early elimination rounds are from 3pm to 7pm and the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals are scheduled to start at 2pm and end at 4pm.
Though there should be enough daylight to ensure Chu Sian need not worry, he said he is prepared for all eventualities.
"My coach (Lee Jae-Hyung) and I have worked out a way to shoot when the lights are on, so it should not be a problem. I am well-prepared for that," said Chu Sian, who has the example of former South Korean world champion Im Dong-Hyun to follow.
Dong-Hyun, who with 20/200 vision is considered legally blind, has steadfastly refused eye surgery nor does he wear corrective glasses yet is a two-time Olympic team gold medalist and won the world championship in 2007.
Chu Sian leaves with teammates Khairul Anuar Mohamed, Haziq Kamaruddin and Fareez on Saturday for the second World Cup leg in Antalya, Turkey next week as part of their Olympic preparation.
The women's team comprises Shahira Abdul Halim, Nurul Syafiqah Hashim, Nur Amirah Mohamed and Ng Siu Kim.
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