The duo, who started brightly against Indonesian pair Riau Salsabilla Ega Agata-Rezza Octavia at the National Sports Training Centre, were unable to retain their momentum and lost 6-2 to settle for silver.
Thi Anh Nguyet Do-Van Linh Nong of Vietnam won bronze with a 5-3 victory over Jason Emmanuel Feliciano Zuleuta-Pia Elizabeth Angel Bidaure Marino of the Philippines.
Khairul Anuar said it was not a case of overconfidence after achieving a perfect score in the beginning, but admitted it changed his approach to some extent, which ultimately did not pay off.
“We wanted to go for the kill after obtaining a perfect score, but our focus on shooting waned.”
His sentiments were shared by Syaqiera, who said: “Initially, I got the technique (correct) since I didn’t think too much and just wanted to shoot the arrows, but then my thinking got in the way, compounded by Indonesia’s intense rivalry.”
Khairul Anuar and Syaqiera each also won bronze in the men’s and women’s individual recurve. Earlier, Khairul Anuar grabbed bronze in the men’s team recurve with Bryson Tiew and Zarif Syahir Zolkepeli after beating the Philippine trio 6-2.
Khairul Anuar defeated Linh Nong 6-4 in the individual recurve bronze medal playoff, while Syaqiera defeated Thai archer Iki Jongkraijak 6-5.
Indonesia won gold and silver in men’s individual recurve after Arif Pangestu Dwi defeated Riau Salsabilla 6-2 while their compatriot Rezza defeated Narisara Khunhiranchaiyo of Thailand 6-0 in the women’s tournament.
Meanwhile, the national team of Nur Ain Ayuni Fozi, Nuramalia Haneesha Mazlan and Syaqiera failed to win a medal in women’s team recurve, falling 5-4 to Myanmar in the bronze playoff.
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