Through his club, Kok is quietly rebuilding lives once celebrated and later forgotten: former national athletes who slipped through the cracks after the cheering stopped.
Kok, 55, has turned his archery centre into something rare — a place where past champions can find work, purpose, and dignity again.
It is also a growing community, where youth, retirees, and ex-athletes learn side by side.
“Everyone deserves a second chance,” Kok said. “If we can rebuild confidence through sport, that’s already a victory.”
He began with a small group of students and over time, his sessions drew families, young hopefuls — and, unexpectedly, forgotten heroes.
His first outreach came in 2023, when he met Kenneth Low, once Malaysia’s top squash player.
Low had been working as a cleaner when illness struck. Kok offered him light duties and, with the help of former national athletes welfare foundation (Yakeb) chairman, Noorul Ariffin, and FMT, rallied donations that paid for his medical treatment.
Next came Lisa Kwan, once Malaysia’s bowling queen and two-time sportswoman of the year.
After years of hardship and irregular jobs, she was offered a role at Kok’s centre two weeks ago.
Now 61, Kwan mentors young archers, shares her experience, and helps run daily operations.
“Her warmth and humility have already made her a favourite among the juniors,” said Kok.
Last week, Kok hired Anum Adnan, Malaysia’s first female international silat gold medallist, who had struggled to find work after retiring.
Each story, different in detail, shares the same truth — that a coach with a conscience is doing what the system should have done.
The connector
If Kok is the doer, Noorul is the bridge.
“I get calls from ex-athletes every week,” Noorul said. “Some can’t find jobs. Some are unwell. Most just want to be heard.”
When Noorul heard of Kok’s efforts, he helped connect the dots.
With FMT driving the fundraising, their partnership transformed individual goodwill into a movement of shared responsibility.
“I see myself as a connector,” Noorul said. “Jeffrey provides the platform; I help open the doors. Together, we give athletes a reason to believe they still matter.”
Lives rebuilt, quietly
The athletes Kok helped were once household names, but time and circumstance were unkind.
Illness, age, and obscurity had taken more than their medals ever gave.
Former squash No 1 Low lost his balance to multiple sclerosis and his confidence to poverty. Today, he’s recovering — and smiling again.
Bowling queen Kwan went from national pride to earning RM80 a day at a lottery outlet.
Now, as a mentor at Best Archery Centre, she teaches discipline and focus — the same values that once made her a champion.
Anum, too, has found purpose again. “After sport, I felt invisible,” she said. “Now I feel needed.”
For Kok, it isn’t charity. “It’s about dignity,” he said. “They gave their best years to the country. The least we can do is stand by them now.”
More than a club
Best Archery Centre has grown into a community hub — one that welcomes beginners as young as seven and veterans as old as Dr Ng Chung Wai ,94.
Ng, a retired surgeon, aims to compete in the 2027 World Masters Games. Club secretary Susan Oon, 70, will represent Malaysia at the Australia Masters Games this month.
Kok runs the centre with discipline and open doors. Parents drop off children for training. Retirees practise for calm and companionship. Former athletes rediscover purpose.
“Archery teaches balance,” Kok said. “It steadies the hand — and the heart. You learn to focus again, one arrow at a time.”
Beyond the indoor range, Kok’s next challenge lies in the highlands.
He is spearheading the Fraser’s Hill International Open Field Archery Competition 2025, an event aimed at reviving field archery in Malaysia.
Field archery is archery’s version of golf — archers trek through forest trails, shooting at targets set at different distances and elevations. It tests focus, stamina, and connection with nature.
Kok’s goal is to prepare Malaysian youth for the World Field Archery Championships in the United States, and eventually bring the event home.
The Fraser’s Hill competition, recognised by the ministry of youth and sports, is a first step, he said.
But funding remains a hurdle. The project, supported by Tourism Pahang and Pahang Archery Association, still faces a RM100,000 shortfall.
Gamuda Land, already a key supporter of Kok’s efforts, contributed RM50,000 to keep the dream alive.
What keeps him going
Kok spends long hours at the range. What drives him isn’t business, but belief.
“I’ve seen how easily we forget our athletes once they stop winning,” he said. “I want this place to remind them, and the country, that their value never ends.”
His club may be modest, but its spirit is immense. Every bow strung, every arrow released carries a message of resilience.
Noorul calls Kok’s work a “national service without a budget.”
“Jeffrey is doing what institutions should have done decades ago,” he said. “He’s showing us that care doesn’t need a ministry — it just needs a conscience.”
Restoring dignity, one arrow at a time
Kwan now reports to work daily, mentoring archers and helping with logistics. Parents say her presence has energised the centre.
Youngsters look up to her — not for what she once won, but for how she carries herself today.
“I thought my time was over,” Kwan said. “But being here makes me feel alive again.”
For Kok, moments like these matter more than medals.
“Sport is supposed to build people,” he said. “If we can use it to rebuild lives, then we’ve hit the real bullseye.”
Malaysia spends millions chasing gold medals. Yet in one small range, a coach with a big heart is proving that the real victory is not in winning — but in helping others stand tall again.
And as the arrows fly each day, they carry with them something rarer than triumph — hope.
Those wishing to support the club’s development may contact Jeffrey Kok at 019-246 5015 or make a contribution to Best Archery Club, Public Bank Berhad (Account No: 3245468720).