When Hariz picked up an archer’s bow for the first time, he did not realise how much he would come to love the sport.
At just 15 years old, he represented the National Youth Team in a youth competition held in Korea. He subsequently had the opportunity to be trained with the Singapore Archery National Team for a year. He also bagged various competition medals and awards along the way.
In Singapore, where academics are prioritised over sports, Hariz has no plans to slow down his contributions to the archery scene despite currently pursuing his degree with SIM-RMIT's Applied Science in Aviation.
In fact, he is ramping up his involvement, building SIM Archery Club from scratch.
From Archer to Mentor
“SIM Archery Club began as an interest group,” Hariz shared. “There were only seven members at the start.”
This meant having to secure their own training range and plan their own training sessions.
They also could not afford to hire a professional coach due to limited resources. Not wanting the members’ growth to be hindered, Hariz stepped up as a temporary coach using his National Registry of Coaches (NROC) Level 1 certificate.
“I found myself in an unusual but critical leadership role—guiding a group of athletes, many of whom had little to no archery experience,” Hariz recalled. “It was a terrifying endeavour.”
While Hariz has experience as an archer and is a certified coach, guiding a new club required a completely different skill set.
For example, he had to research training methodologies, coaching strategies, and team management to cater to members with varying levels of experience. Often, Hariz had to seek advice from other experienced coaches.
Balancing this leadership role with his own training and academic responsibilities was another hurdle.
“Managing training schedules, analysing performance, and keeping the team motivated while ensuring my own progress required strong time management skills,” Hariz explained.
He also learnt how to adapt under pressure and communicate effectively to inspire others to strive for excellence. Leadership also meant knowing how to delegate responsibilities to ease his workload while empowering others to develop leadership skills of their own, he noted.
“Seeing them improve and enjoy the sport motivates me,” Hariz smiled. “Through my sacrifice, I hope to build a lasting legacy for future members to have better opportunities.”
Leading Through Example
Beyond leadership skills, Hariz also learnt the value of perseverance through archery.
Recounting one of the most pivotal moments in his journey, he highlighted the Nanyang Technological University Institutional Archery Championship (NTU IAC) 2025 competition which was coincidentally held during the fasting month.
Instead of letting the challenge deter him, he embraced it and pushed himself despite thirst, heat, and fatigue. Ultimately, he delivered a performance he was proud of.
When asked why he chose to persevere, Hariz explained that it is through these moments of adversity that his mental resilience is trained and tested.
“Success is not just about talent, but about determination, preparation, and an unyielding belief in oneself,” he started. “I learnt to embrace discomfort, to believe in my preparation, and to maintain discipline in the face of hardship.”
“At the same time, I really wanted to bring glory to SIM Archery and show that although our club is still very new, we can compete at a high level.”
Hariz continued to explain that this was also a chance to set an example for his teammates: “Sometimes you have to push past personal challenges not just for yourself, but for the pride of your team and school.”
“Most importantly, it strengthened my understanding of how to find balance between faith, personal commitments, and my love for the sport.”
Complementary, Not Contradictory
Through his discipline and commitment, Hariz was awarded the SIM Sports and Artistic Talent Award.
Granted to individuals with outstanding sports or artistic talents and good academic results, this award is part of the SIM Impact Fund where up to $60 million will be distributed over the next decade ($6 million annually), over various scholarships and awards.
The SIM Sports and Artistic Talent Award is especially significant to Hariz who believes that sports and academics are complementary.
Despite his commitment to SIM Archery Club, Hariz maintains a distinction Grade Point Average (GPA). In fact, he credits having to juggle multiple commitments as a motivation to remain disciplined in time management. Archery training is also a way for him to de-stress, he added.
“While academics build knowledge, sports build character,” Hariz affirmed. “Through archery, I have developed discipline, teamwork, resilience, and leadership skills—qualities that I believe are just as important as academic results.”
"These are skills I can carry into my future career and personal life.”
Hariz also hopes to instil this mindset to the next generation.
“My goal is to be remembered not just as someone who contributed to building up the club, but also as someone who made a meaningful impact on the school community,” he concluded.
“I hope to leave behind a legacy where students feel empowered to pursue both academic and sporting success without having to choose between them.”