KUCHING: 'Today, I've proven all those who wanted to see me fail wrong,' declared Dayang Nurulnuhaa Fasihah Abang Misbahhuddin, the Sarawak petanque athlete, who clinched gold in the women's event at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) today.
The 18-year-old was visibly emotional after her victory in the final, a testament to the hardships she endured to reach this moment.
Dayang Nurulnuhaa shared that beyond facing criticism, she had to navigate numerous challenges and make significant sacrifices to achieve her gold medal.
"There were plenty of challenges, especially in sports. It's not just about our training environment but also the comments from others.
"For every supporter cheering us on, there are always those hoping we'll fail.
"But I'm deeply grateful to my family and team for their constant support, which helped me win this gold medal," she told Bernama after her win.
Earlier, Dayang Nurulnuhaa ended an eight-year gold medal drought in petanque for Sarawak by winning the women's shooting event, defeating Federal Territories' Nur Arissa Qasreena Ratinan 29-27 in the final.
Looking ahead, Dayang Nurulnuhaa hopes her Sukma success will catch the eye of national team coaches, as she dreams of competing on a bigger stage and making Malaysia proud in petanque.
"I hope to join the national team if the opportunity arises and represent Malaysia in the upcoming Sea Games," she added. – BERNAMA