SEA Games Triumph High Point In My Sports Career This Year - Nani Sahirah

By Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi Mohamad Arif

BANGKOK, Dec 12 (Bernama) -- National women’s shot putter Nani Sahirah Maryata described her gold medal victory at the South East Asian (SEA) Games as a high point in her sports career.

Her 16.38 metre (m) throw, which also smashed the national record, was very meaningful, coming at the end of a year of less-than-sterling performances, including that the World University Games (WUG) in Germany in July.

“This is like a gift for myself as I’ve lost a lot in major championships. At WUG and (Asian Throwing Championship in)  Mokpo, South Korea, I only managed 14 m, only at the Asian Athletics Championship did I manage 15.06 m.

“So I didn’t have high hopes, only wanting to do better. This is the first time I’ve done 16 m, so this is a very huge surprise,” she said when met at the medal presentation at Suphachalasai Stadium here today.

Her throw today smashed her national record of 15.39 m set at the Perlis Open Athletics Championship last year, beating Areerat Intadis of Thailand (16.04 m) and Huyen Thi Kim of Vietnam (15.92 m).

Nani Sahirah also revealed that she was determined not to waste the last opportunity this year, and fought against the pain in her hand during today’s competition, noting that she felt unburdened because she was not a gold medal prospect.

She does feel the need to make her win today to fuel her future sports endeavours, including at next year’s Commonwealth Games.

“I have the intention of going further. My target is to go to the Commonwealth Games and I need to reach 17 m. The Asian Games, meanwhile, is a championship where there are many of my rivals, that’s the long-term goal,” she added.

-- BERNAMA