SEPANG - Sailor Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latif, who delivered Malaysia's first gold medal in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, has dedicated the medal to her late coach-cum manager Abd Aziz Hashim, who died in October 2021.
Nur Shazrin, of Pasir Gudang, Johor, is sad that she could not share her victory with Abd Aziz, who had guided her in the world of sailing since her school days.
The 25-year-old said she nearly gave up on sailing once but Abd Aziz was always there to motivate and encourage her to continue to strive for excellence.
"Encik Aziz was always there with me, encouraging me to continue to work hard and, finally, I have my hands on the gold medal.
"But it's sad that I could not share it with him... he was like a father to me. I dedicate this gold medal to him and my family,” she said as she tried to hold back her tears when met at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) upon her return from Hangzhou, China today.
Malaysia clinched their first gold medal in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games through Nur Shazrin in the women's ILCA 6 event on Wednesday (Sept 27), thus enabling her to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Besides Nur Shazrin, two other sailors - Muhammad Asnawi Iqbal Adam (men's ILCA 4 event) and Tengku Nurani Ezaty Tengku Khairudeen (women's Windsurfing RS:X event) - also contributed bronze medals.
Meanwhile, two-time Sea Games gold medallist Nur Shazrin said her victory in Hangzhou has inspired her to make amends for her failure to win a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"I hope a better (training) programme awaits (me) because during the Tokyo Olympics, my preparations were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and I failed to meet my target. In Tokyo, I finished in 26th position... my target for Paris (Olympics) is to finish in the top 15,” she said.
She also hopes to be able to undergo training in Paris ahead of the Olympics, in addition to getting the full backing in terms of facilities and treatment. - BERNAMA