BANGKOK: Making her SEA Games debut, Sarawak’s Ummi Mashitah Hassan clinched gold by defeating Thailand’s Anuntaya Nompan in the women’s pencak silat 55-60kg category.
The silat athlete from Marudi, Sarawak, delivered an excellent performance by overcoming the host country’s Anuntaya Nompan, thus bringing a precious gold medal to the Malaysian contingent.
Ummi said that competing at the SEA Games level is no easy task, and the victory was very meaningful as it was her first major international tournament.
“Alhamdulillah, I am very grateful and excited because this is the first major tournament I have participated in.
“As a newcomer to the SEA Games, this success is very meaningful because I managed to contribute a gold medal to Malaysia,” she said when met after the match.
Additionally, Ummi said the path to the final was full of challenges because every competitor was the best representative from their respective countries.
“The journey to the final was indeed full of twists and obstacles. All the opponents were not ordinary. But with continuous training and high discipline, I finally succeeded,” she said.
Recalling the transition from being a SUKMA champion to the national team camp, Ummi admitted that the initial phase was quite challenging, especially in adjusting to the different training intensity.
“Training at the national camp is really different, especially in terms of more detailed technical aspects. At first, it was quite difficult, but alhamdulillah, I was able to catch up quickly,” she explained.
Next on her target, Ummi said her focus is now on the World Championship scheduled for next year.
“Insya-Allah, my next target is the World Championship. The schedule has not been set yet, but that is definitely my main goal,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ummi also expressed her gratitude to all the people of Sarawak for their unwavering support.
“Thank you to the people of Sarawak who always support and pray for me, my family, coaches, and friends in Miri and Marudi. All of this is the result of their prayers and trust,” she said.
