Johor's Nur Shaqirah Cik Mat Kilau wins gold medal in the girls' 400m hurdles at the Malaysia Games (Sukma). - KAMARUL ARIFFIN/TheStar
KUCHING: After Hazriq Cik Mat Kilau failed to win the 110m hurdles, his sister Nur Syaqirah decided it was her responsibility to get gold for the family.
Even though she was recovering from a hamstring injury, she ignored it to power to victory in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) 400m hurdles, clocking 63.36s at the Sarawak Stadium in Petra Jaya yesterday.
Kelantan’s Siti Nor Faqihah Saidi took silver with a time of 63.44s, while Sabah’s Frenynila Sherly Lucius took bronze by clocking 64.22s.
After the race, Syaqirah immediately embraced Hazriq who was on the sideline.
"Hazriq got the bronze in the boy's 110m hurdles and I got silver in the short race. But I really wanted a gold for the family.
"I felt like giving up because of my hamstring. When I finished the 100m hurdles, my quadriceps was swollen because I overused it.
"In the 400m hurdles, it was like a miracle to get gold for Johor. I had the energy to go faster in the last 150m. I had tears in two areas of my hamstring and I am not fully recovered.
Syaqirah said her focus now is to make sure she is fully healed from her hamstring injury.
"Now I just want to focus on recovery. Once I am fully healed, I will focus on SEA Games qualification."
Meanwhile, Selangor’s Esther Joy Chen Hong Li completed a sweep of all the long distance gold medals by winning the 10,000m final.
She clocked 40:37.98 to finish ahead of Perak’s Tan Zhi Lin (40:45.87) and Penang’s Heng Jia Yee (42:49.65). Esther, 21, had also won the 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase in Sarawak.
