KUALA LUMPUR – Increased international exposure could significantly enhance Nur Afrina Batrisyia Mohamad Rizal’s performance and potentially help her break the long-standing national 100-metre record—if the Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF) commits to supporting her development, said national sprint coach Mohd Poad Md Kassim.
Afrina recently made headlines at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Sarawak by winning three gold medals and setting new tournament records in both the 100m and 200m events.
She clocked 11.64 seconds in the 100m, breaking the previous record of 11.81s set by Azreen Nabila Alias in 2018, and recorded 23.89s in the 200m, surpassing Noor Eewan Syafiah Mohd Sabri’s 24.37s record from 2016.
Now seen as a potential contender to break the 31-year-old national record of 11.50s set by G. Shanti in 1993, Afrina is encouraged to compete against faster international competitors to sharpen her skills.
“That is indeed part of the target (breaking G. Shanti record) for Afrina in the future, but she needs more exposure to competitive tournaments, and I hope the association takes this matter seriously.
“Right now, we see that most sprinters are not being sent to compete in overseas tournaments, so maybe the MAF needs to reconsider this.
“I’m not surprised she clocked this time because even during training sessions, she already showed signs that she could achieve it.
“I told her not to look back because she should be aware of her level. So, for upcoming international competitions, I hope she can perform even better with Zaidatul (Husniah Zulkifli), as both of them are valuable assets to the team,” Poad told Scoop.
Afrina’s last international appearance was at the Singapore Open Athletics Championship in April last year, where she finished sixth in the 100m but secured a gold medal in the 4x100m relay alongside teammates Zaidatul, Azreen Nabila Alias, and Aisha Afina Roling.
This year, only a few national track athletes, particularly sprinters, have been sent abroad to compete, with Muhammad Azeem Fahmi and Shereen Samson Vallabuoy being the notable exceptions as they pursue qualification for the Paris Olympics. – August 25, 2024