Grit needed: Due to the tight Birmingham schedule, Nur Dhabitah has decided not to compete in the 1m springboard individual – the event where she bagged the first gold for Malaysia in the Hanoi SEA Games in May.
PETALING JAYA: Nur Dhabitah Sabri can achieve a first for Malaysian diving if she gets her act right in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
The 23-year-old has a heavy workload to shoulder as she has been entered for four events in the competition from Aug 4-8 at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre.
Dhabitah will not only compete in the women’s 10m platform synchro with Pandelela Rinong and the 3m springboard synchro with Wendy Ng Yan Yee but she has been given the nod to combine with Mohd Syafiq Puteh in the mixed synchro 3m springboard.
Dhabitah will also dive alongside Wendy and Kimberly Bong in the women’s 3m springboard individual.
With such heavy duty ahead, Dhabitah has decided not to commit to the 1m springboard individual - the event where she bagged the first gold for Malaysia in the Hanoi SEA Games in May.
Unlike other multi-Games, the Commonwealth Games ruling allows a nation to enter three divers for the individual and two pairings for the synchro.
At the recent World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, it was Wendy who partnered Syafiq for the mixed synchro 3m springboard where they finished seventh.
But coach Li Rui has made the switch for Dhabitah to combine with Syafiq in the hope that the combination will increase Malaysia’s chances of pipping the established pairs from England, Australia and Canada to a place on the podium.
Thus, Dhabitah has realistic medal chances in all four events in what is her third Commonwealth Games outing. If she pulls it off, it will be a fabulous feat indeed.
The Kuala Lumpur-born Dhabitah, however, does not want to make predictions and prefers to focus on the process.
“My aim is to train well and fix techniques that we’re lacking in. And pray that there are no injuries.
“I see the bigger picture although we have our personal target to achieve,” said Dhabitah, who is highly motivated after her experience at the world meet in Budapest where she made the podium for the first time with Pandelela in the women’s 10m platform synchro.
“The outing at the worlds showed me that anything is possible, anyone can win, you just need to put your head in the game and bring the A game,” added Dhabitah, who already bagged two bronze medals at the last Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018.
The bronze medals came from her partnership with Leong Mun Yee in the women’s 3m springboard synchro and 10m platform synchro.
Like Pandelela, who is still competitive and going for her fourth Commonwealth Games at the age of 29, Dhabitah is also hoping to be like her illustrious senior.
“Diving is my passion and I will do my very best to perform and make Malaysia proud. As long as I am needed in my team and if my body is well and healthy enough to compete, I will stay the course and compete for Malaysia.”
Diving is one of the six sports that the Malaysian contingent will be banking on to contribute gold in Birmingham.
The others are weightlifting, powerlifting, badminton, gymnastics and lawn bowls.
