Sukma: Sabah end six-year wait for women's doubles gold

KAJANG, Sept 20 (Bernama) -- The combination of Siti Hadinavilla Jumidil and Nazira Hani Iskandar @Jali managed to end Sabah’s six-year wait for the women’s sepak takraw gold in the Malaysia Games (Sukma).

Siti Hadinavilla, 22, Nazira Hani, 16, brushed aside Sarawak’s Sharifah Fifi Nurdyana Wan Muhamat Abdul Rah and Nur Asmida Rambli 21-12, 21-13 at Dewan Seri Sarjana, Uniten here today.

Perak’s Nur Syahirah Hisaam-Nur Athirah Roslan took home the bronze.

Speaking to reporters after helping Sabah repeat their 2016 Sukma feat, Nazira Hani said she was glad that all their hard work over the past four years finally paid off.

“Our wait to compete in Sukma finally ends in joy. This has not been an easy journey because I am still learning, so I need to find the right balance between sports and studies.

“I train as early as at 5.30 am before getting ready for school at SMK Likas, Kota Kinabalu at 6 am and resume undergoing intensive training in the evening,” she told Bernama.

For the record, the Sabah women’s doubles team only won silver at the 2018 edition in Perak.

Meanwhile, the Terengganu pair of Muhammad Aidil Haikal Ghani and Muhammad Khairul Aman Mohd Rosdi captured the men’s doubles gold after defeating the Perlis combination of Wan Norhanif Rosdi- Muhammad Shahalril Aiman Halim 2-1.

Johor’s Muhammad Haikal Huzaimi Abdul Razak-Muhammad Syahmi Syazwan Aziz took home the bronze.

-- BERNAMA