The phrase “age is just a number” often praises remarkable achievements by older athletes, but it also perfectly describes the impact of the youngest generation in sport.
Seventeen-year-old Marjan Abdelfattah and 14-year-old Rumaysa Chader are two such examples.
Both recurve women archers on the Great Britain pathway programme, they are rising stars with Olympic ambitions and, crucially, official ambassadors for Archery GB. Their mission: to promote archery, enhance the experience for all, and support club development – especially within underrepresented communities.
At the Youth Festival in Lilleshall last week, their talents shone bright. Marjan, seeded fourth after qualifications, won gold in the under-21 women’s team event and silver individually. Rumaysa took home double gold in the under-15 women’s team and mixed team events, plus an individual silver medal.
What sets them apart is not just their competitive success but also their role as young ambassadors from ethnic minority backgrounds.
“Here in Northern Ireland, I don’t think archery is that diverse; it’s just not very well known,” said Marjan, who won three gold medals at the 2022 British Home Nations Youth Festival. “People know archery exists, but no one’s keen on taking it up.”
“It’s a very niche sport, so I just want to make it welcoming and more accessible, because anyone can be an archer – that’s the whole point.”
“We have a lot of people who come from that side [underrepresented backgrounds] who don’t think they can do anything, but then when they see archery, they realise they can.”
There are countless participation schemes worldwide – such as Project Rimaya – working to make archery clubs more diverse and comfortable for beginners. Marjan herself aims to set up a club for Muslims in Belfast.
