Bow and arrow, once a lethal weapon of combat and hunting, is today an Olympic sport but still an exhilarating fascination for a select few. The thing with archery is try it once and chances are you will be hooked on it. 19 year-old Rehana Tayabally still remembers the feeling when her first arrow parted her bow and hitting the bull’s eye just two and half years ago.
The new ‘Robin Hood’ of Ladies’ College fame, Rehana is propelling her arrows to greatness, just winning a Silver at the World Indoor Archery World Cup. That makes her a future Olympic prospect for Sri Lanka.
Rehana shot into the limelight as a novice in 2015 and has been at practice nearly every permissible day ever since, displaying a deep-rooted commitment to the sport she loves. Archery probably helps her juggle the pressures of studies, too. Rehana emerged as Sri Lanka’s junior champ in October 2016, leaving the rest of the field on the way side by a spectacular margin. Two weeks later, Rehana pitted her uncanny skills against the fancied Tri-Forces shooters clinching a medal at the National Women’s Senior Archery Championship.
Coached by her archer-father L. Tayabally, the young prodigy is a product of Colombo Archery Center at CR & FC and has also represented the country at the SAF Games.
Achievements in Archery
* 3rd – 9th September 2015 participated in the 3rd Seoul International Youth Archery Fiesta held in Seoul, Korea
* Sri Lanka Airforce Championships 3rd Dec 2015. Mixed Compound event - Gold Medal
* 12th South Asian Games 3rd – 15th Feb 2016 held in Shillong India. Represented Sri Lanka and was placed 3rd in the compound team event and was ranked 9th in the open category.
* 5th Junior National Archery Championships held on 27th& 28th Feb 2016 at the SLAMC Ground ,Werahera
Under 20Girls 30m - Gold Medal
Under 17 Girls 30m - Silver Medal
Under 20 Mixed Team 30m - Silver Medal
* 6th Junior National Archery National Championships 2016 held on 15th& 16th October 2016 at Torrington Grounds Colombo
Under 20 Girls 30m - Bronze Medal
Under 20 Mixed Team Event 30m - Silver Medal
* 16th National Archery Championships 2016 held on 22nd and 23rd Oct 2016 at Torrington Grounds, Colombo
Novices Women’s 30m - Silver Medal
* 7th Junior National Archery National Championships 2016 held on 15th& 16th October 2016 at Torrington Grounds Colombo
Under 20 Girls 30m - Gold Medal
* 17th National Archery Championships 2016 held on 22nd and 23rd Oct 2016 at Torrington Grounds, Colombo
70m Open Olympic Women’s Event - Gold Medal
70m Open Olympic Women’s Qualifying - Bronze Medal
* Indoor Archery World Cup 2nd – 4th December 2017 held in Bangkok, Thailand
18m Indoor Youth Junior Recurve Event - Silver Medal