Dabbling in a ‘solo sport’ to keep to herself, Robles now basking in a spotlight of her making

Andrea Robles —PHOTO FROM ANDREA ROBLES’ FACEBOOK

Andrea Robles felt an individual sport like archery best suits her personality—she says she is an introvert. But her success in her sport is shining a lot of spotlight on her.

Last week, she ruled the World Archery Philippines (WAP) virtual shoot by toppling the country’s biggest name in the sport, Olympian and Southeast Asian Games legend Jennifer Chan.

It was a virtual tournament: The 55-year-old Chan was shooting in Dumaguete City while Robles was firing from her private range at the back of her family home in Quezon City. They were the last women standing in the 70-meter Olympic round match.

“It was raining very hard that day so we had to stop momentarily,” Robles recalled. “My camera, which was focused on the target, was getting disconnected.”

Feeling the crunch despite the tournament staged via Google Meet, Robles and Chan ended up tied until the last end, which consisted of three arrows each.

“It may not be an actual tournament but it was still nerve-wracking,” Robles said. “I look up to her. When I was starting I was hoping to someday reach her level, too.”

All cued in, Robles found the bull’s-eye thrice to turn in a perfect 30. Chan had a 28. And the 22-year-old Robles went away with the crown, 145-143.

“It was really exciting,” the management graduate from Ateneo said. “After a long while training by myself. I finally joined a tournament and won it.”

A bit of a latecomer to the sport after starting at the age of 15, Robles said she was looking for “my own activity, solo sport,” where she doesn’t have to mind anyone else’s business but her own.

“It was just out of curiosity, so one summer I asked my dad to let me take up archery. Then I became hooked on it because I like the precision,” Robles said.

WAP secretary general Rosendo Sombrio said: “She is really good. She represents the future of Philippine archery.”