By Amiril Muttaqien Meketar
KUCHING, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- Amyrul Yazid Ahmad Sibi and his wife Wan Noraini Zainurian stole the show on the final day of the badminton competition at the 2024 Malaysia Para Games (Para SUKMA) at the Sarawak Badminton Association Hall here today.
Amyrul delivered the men's doubles gold for Kedah with Ahmad Syahir Mohammad, defeating Negeri Sembilan's Arif Ridzuan Ab Nasir-Shamil Kahar 21-16, 21-14 in the SU5 (physical impairment) category after his wife, Wan Noraini had powered her way to the singles SL4-SU4 (physical impairment) gold medal for Pahang.
Amyrul said his wife's success in getting her act right at the third time of asking at the biennial Games inspired him to make amends for his 18-21, 9-21 loss to Mohamad Faris Ahmad Azri in the men's singles SU5 category earlier today.
"My wife's victory was an inspiration to me. I figured that if she can get a gold medal, then so can I… especially since I qualified for two finals.
"In the singles earlier, I was disappointed because the court was slippery and I could not play my game. Alhamdulillah, I managed to adapt to the conditions in the doubles and finally nailed the gold medal,” said Amyrul, who was born without a left arm.
Although he had to be away from his wife, who works in Pahang, the national player said they would often train together whenever he visited her on the East Coast or when she was back in Kuala Lumpur.
The 30-year-old, who trains full-time at the Kampung Pandan Paralympic Centre of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur, hopes that his success today will be the catalyst for him to go for a podium finish at the 2025 ASEAN Para Games in Thailand.
Meanwhile, the 40-year-old Wan Noraini was thrilled to finally taste success at the Para SUKMA after settling for silver in the 2016 and 2018 editions.
The (Rompin UMNO Office) administration assistant is also grateful to have overcome her health issues (low haemoglobin) to bring glory to her home state of Pahang and share her success with the love of her life.
"In July, I struggled with low haemoglobin levels and I still feel the effects a little, but I try to fight it. I never thought about winning a medal and just did my best, knowing I had already put in the hard yards earlier,” she said.
The curtain will come down on the 2024 Para SUKMA, which officially began on Sunday (Sept 22), at the Unity Stadium here tomorrow.
-- BERNAMA
