The world’s foremost coach in archery South Korean Kim Hyung Tak arrived in the country on Tuesday (19) night at the BIA Katunayake, to train Sri Lankan competitors in the sport ahead of the 2026 Youth Olympics and the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Summer Games.

The 2026 Summer Youth Olympics is set to be held from 31 October to 13 November in Dakar, Senegal.

According to informed sources, Kim Hyung Tak is scheduled to conduct his training camps to the local archers from yesterday up to Saturday (23) at the Olympic House in Colombo.

The South Korean Kim Hyung Tak had served as his country’s head coach of archery for a number of years, while his most notable achievement in the game has been winning gold for his country at the LA Olympics in 1984.

He has also gained over 25 years of experience in archery and during his training sessions, Kim Hyung Tak is expected to offer advanced coaching knowhow to local archers, in order to equip them with the latest knowledge to compete at future international events.  

The ongoing training sessions conducted by the seasoned South Korean archer, have been streamlined in a way to accommodate both novices and experienced archers in the country, sources added.  

Kim Hyung Tak arrived in Colombo with his spouse from Incheon, South Korea, following an invitation extended to him by the Aerodynamics Sports Academy whose Chairperson Nishamani Wijesinghe had been instrumental in getting him down to Sri Lanka.

He was welcomed at the BIA by the officials of the Sri Lanka Archery Association (SLAA) and the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL).

Further information on the ongoing archery training sessions conducted by Kim Hyung Tak, could be sought by dialing the telephone number 0767404885. 

(JK)