Selangor SUKMA: Haretashni Aims To End Final Appearance On A High

SHAH ALAM, May 13 (Bernama) -- After having to settle for a silver medal in the individual event at the previous Malaysia Games (SUKMA), Selangor karate athlete N. Haretashni is determined to end her final appearance at the Games on a high note on home ground this August.

The 21-year-old said her main focus now is to hunt for gold in the individual kumite event, apart from helping Selangor defend the women’s team kumite title won at SUKMA Sarawak 2024.

She said preparations to ensure that ambition becomes a reality had begun as early as last year through intensive training programmes and participation in several tournaments to sharpen and test her abilities.

“I started intensive training last year and this year I have taken part in many tournaments to assess the level of improvement in my performance.

“Last week I competed in the 34th MAKAF National Karate Championship and won a silver medal. Although I lost in the final, I could see improvement in my performance,” she told Bernama recently.

Haretashni also predicted strong competition from Sabah athletes following the team’s observations in previous competitions, where the contingent from the Land Below the Wind is expected to field new faces and introduce fresh tactics into the matches.

“Now we can already see the way they fight and the tactics they use. So in the next two to three months we will improve our weaknesses and make the best possible preparations,” said Haretashni, who is also a student at a private university.

Meanwhile, coach Loganeshaa Rao said the team’s confidence in delivering gold for Selangor remains very high, with current focus being placed on strengthening psychological resilience ahead of the Games.

He said this is because karate is no longer a niche sport in the country and has produced many highly skilled fighters who could potentially challenge the team’s gold medal hopes.

“Karate has become very competitive in Malaysia now, every state is improving. So I think we can see a good and competitive fight during this year’s SUKMA.

“In terms of training mode, technically it is the same, but the approach for this generation is a bit different for this sport. So we need to be smart in incorporating technical, tactical and psychological elements for this generation to win,” he said.

-- BERNAMA