But another Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) student – Nor Shahidatun Nadia Mohd Zuki – is bent on making her Games debut despite having to sit for the SPM examinations.
Nadia, 17, who was named the best female athlete in the inaugural Asian Schools Track and Field Championships for winning two gold medals in Kuantan in September, will compete in the long jump and triple jump events in the biennial Games in Myanmar.
She is ranked third in the South-East Asia region in the long jump event based on her season's best of 6.09m at the Asean Schools championships in Hanoi in June.
Indonesia’s Maria Natalia Londa (6.42m) and Catherina Kay Santos (6.17m) of the Philippines are ranked first and second respectively in the region.
For the triple jump, Nadia is ranked sixth based on her personal best of 13.01m, which she set in Kuantan in September.
Nadia is the third woman triple jumper in Malaysia to have surpassed the 13m mark. The others are Noor Amira Nafiah, who holds the national record of 13.90m and will feature in Myanmar, and Ngew Siew Mei (personal best of 13.74m).
Nadia, who is from Alor Setar, admitted that it hasn't been easy juggling her time between preparing for the SPM examinations and training for the SEA Games.
“Although I’m busy with my exams, I still train every day. My goal is to do well in the SPM and the SEA Games,” said Nadia, who will focus more on the long jump event “because I stand a better chance of winning a medal”.
“It’ll be my first SEA Games and I’ll be more than happy if I can improve on my personal best of 6.11m.”
Her coach, Zainal Abas, said that Nadia “is a dedicated athlete, who has shown steady improvement in the long jump and triple jump events”.
“She has done well at the junior level and it will be a bonus if she can finish on the podium at the Games,” said Zainal.thestar.com.my
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