ACEH BESAR - Mursyidan Zhafiri, an 11th-grade student at MAS Imam Syafi’i Sibreh, has successfully qualified to represent Aceh Province at the National Sports Week (PON) XXI in Aceh – North Sumatra, which will be held on September 8, 2024. Mursyidan qualified as an archer in the National Standard Bow category representing Aceh Province based on the results of the Regional Selection (SELEKDA) conducted by the Aceh Branch of the Indonesian Archery Association (PERPANI) from 2023 to 2024
At that time, 585 archers from 35 provinces across Indonesia competed for a ticket to the archery event at the PON XXI Qualification Round in Aceh and North Sumatra. The PON 2024 Qualification Round took place from November 18 to 24, 2023, at the GOR Pajajaran Stadium, Bogor, West Java. The archery qualification event was officially opened by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Dito Ariotedjo, accompanied by the Vice Chairman I of PB PERPANI and the Chief Organizer, Pangdam Jaya Major General TNI Mohamad Hasan, the General Treasurer of PB PERPANI, Irawadi Hanafi, and the Head of the Committee as well as Vice Chairman II of PB PERPANI for Coaching and Achievements, Abdul Razak, at the GOR Pajajaran Stadium, Bogor.
Mursyidan Zhafiri, a 16-year-old student at MAS Imam Syafi’i Sibreh, is also a student at Pesantren Imam Syafi’i. Mursyidan has won several archery events, including the Aceh Sports Week (PORA), the National Junior Championships (Kejurnas) in Yogyakarta, and the National Student Sports Week (POPNAS) in South Sumatra in 2023.
Mursyidan shared his experience of how he became an archer, stating that it was challenging to balance pesantren activities and training. He also used his pesantren holidays for training. "I have lost count of how many times I had to change bows, accessories, arrows, and so on over the past six years to qualify and represent Aceh Province at PON XXI Aceh – North Sumatra. The key is to stay focused, manage time wisely, and pray," Mursyidan said.
The Principal of Pesantren Imam Syafi’i Sibreh, Ust. Teuku Tommy YS, M.Ag, accompanied by the Vice Principal, Ust. Fajri, S.Pd.I, highly appreciates the national achievements of one of his students. He hopes that more students in Aceh will have extensive religious knowledge as well as achievements in other fields.
