With support from her parents, Mathew and Rose, Sheirviana is advancing steadily in the game of boccia.
FRESH from winning a bronze medal at the recent 20th Para Malaysian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Sheirviana Mathew is eager to get back to training in Sibujaya, Sarawak.
She won bronze and silver medals during the National Boccia Games Circuit I and II in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year.
Sheirviana’s face lights up with a megawatt smile whenever she talks about boccia, a precision ball sport modified from the original bocce game.
The game was initially designed for people with cerebral palsy but has since gained popularity among those with other disabilities.
Sheirviana’s parents Mathew Galang and Rose Galau are very proud of their plucky 24-year-old daughter.
“She is always smiling. Except when we cannot find the time to bring her for her boccia training,” Mathew said with a chuckle.
Sheirviana’s love for boccia was born when her parents brought her to watch members of the Sibu Spinal Cord Injury Association play the game at a mall in Sibu.
At the association’s invitation, she began playing boccia and it opened up a whole new world for her.
As Sheirviana’s skills improved, she was drawn deeper into the game and wanted to practise more.
However, Mathew’s work as a logistics company driver meant he could only bring his daughter occasionally.
Buying her a boccia ramp and ball set was out of the question as it would cost between RM18,000 and RM20,000.
The aspiring boccia player managed to get the sports equipment when a doctor from Kuching donated his son’s pre-loved set.
“We are so grateful to the doctor because this donation enabled my daughter to immerse herself in the game, and not only during the irregular weekends when I am off duty,” said Mathew.
Though she had the equipment, Sheirviana faced a new set of challenges as she could only practise at home or the five-foot way in SibuJaya’s commercial precinct.
“All these places are not suitable due to the ground surface as it can damage the ball which is expensive,” Mathew explained.
Then the family found out that the brand new stadium donated by Tan Sri Azman Hashim came with an indoor sports hall with rubberised flooring.
“That is exactly the type of flooring we need,” said Mathew.
He went about seeking out the people behind the community sports centre and his effort was rewarded with support from Amcorp Group, the interim caretaker of the sports centre.
“They were very understanding and supportive and soon, Sheirviana was training there regularly,” he said.
With all the opportunities to train at the sports centre instead of having to practise in the family’s living room or on five-foot ways, Sheirviana was able to significantly improve her game and medal prospects.
“I must thank the Azman Hashim Community Sports Centre for being so inclusive and providing such wonderful facilities for Sheirviana to train in,” said Mathew.
He is now hoping for a new set of ramps and balls to improve his daughter’s prospects in the fastest growing sport in the world for disabled athletes.
“The price is way out of our reach. We can only hope that a benefactor comes her way,” he said.
