KUALA LUMPUR – Cambodia SEA Games medallists Wan Mohd Fazri Wan Zahari and Nur Humaira Abdul Karim were named University Malaya (UM) Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year during the 2023 UM Sports Awards ceremony held at the Perdana Siswa Complex auditorium last night.
Humaira, a taekwondo athlete, surprised the nation with her outstanding gold medal performance in the poomsae event at the Chroy Vangar Convention Centre in Phnom Penh last year.
This is the third consecutive year that the third-year student has received recognition, following 2021 and 2022.
“I didn’t expect to win this award, especially among students here who have represented our country at the Asian Games,” said the 22-year-old Bachelor of Sports Management student.
Humaira is looking ahead to upcoming challenges, including the Asian Championships in July, which will be hosted by Vietnam, and the World Championships later in the year.
While aspiring to defend her SEA Games gold medal next year, she remains steadfast in her commitment to training.
“The decision will be up to the coach, I just want to focus on my training,” she added.
Meanwhile, Fazri shared a similar sentiment with Humaira, expressing his surprise at winning the award.
The 23-year-old athlete, who secured the bronze medal in the 800m event at the Morodok Techo Stadium last year, conveyed his heartfelt appreciation for being honoured as a UM Sportsman.
“I didn’t expect to win this award, as I feel the other nominees were better than me. I want to thank the UM athletics team, as they have given me a lot of support.
“This is the first award that I have received from UM and it will give me motivation to perform better in my event,” said the Kota Bharu-born athlete.
Despite being a newcomer to the athletic scene at the SEA Games last year, Fazri finished third with a time of 1 minute and 53.86 seconds.
He trailed behind Vietnam’s Duc Phuoc Luong (1:53.34), who claimed the silver medal, and Cambodian Chhun Bunthorn (1:52.92), who clinched the gold.
Eager to capitalise on this newfound motivation, Fazri sets his sights on defending his gold medal at the upcoming Surabaya-Malang Asean University Games in June.
He aims not only to defend his title but also to surpass previous records. – March 7, 2024