9 seconds, 4 targets: Kazakh archer sets record atop camel

A unique record in bow shooting while riding a camel has been set in Kazakhstan. In Astana, archer Dinara Saidalina, seated on a camel named Karatau, hit four targets at a distance of 100 meters in just 9.072 seconds.

Dinara said that to achieve this result, she trained relentlessly for a month and a half. According to her, maintaining balance on a camel is much more challenging than on a horse.

“The feelings I had when I achieved this success are beyond words. The training was very hard; for six weeks, we practiced riding every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. A camel’s gait is completely different from that of a horse; it gallops with high, springing leaps. Keeping the balance, taking an arrow from the quiver, and aiming precisely at the target in such a moment requires tremendous skill. When I heard about hitting the fourth target and setting the record, I burst into tears,” Dinara shared her emotions on Bugin.LIVE program.

According to Gabit Tanatov, director of the Topzhargan center, this project was intended to break down existing stereotypes about camels. — Many people think of camels as slow animals, but that’s not true. We spent a long time observing this animal’s behavior and diet, and came up with a special strategy. This is the result of great effort. Training a camel to race is no easy undertaking; you have to understand its nature. Now we intend to set new records by standing on two camels while riding,” he said.

The camel is five years old. It weighs 800 kg. Dinara Saidalina took up this sport just a year ago. The athlete hopes to conquer many more victories in this unusual sport, including overseas.

Earlier, a Kazakh team claimed silver at the World Airsoft Games in Abu Dhabi.