No recognition, no problem for seasoned shooter Alia

KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran national shooter Alia Sazana Azahari is unperturbed that the Asian record she set in the women’s 25m pistol event at the Asian Rifle-Pistol Cup in Bangkok last February was not recognised as a world record.

The 33-year-old athlete said she accepted the International Shooting Sport Federation’s (ISSF) decision with an open heart, as the tournament did not feature professional shooters from around the world.

“It’s justified because we were at the Asian Cup, where only Asian countries competed, so to consider it a world record wouldn’t be legitimate since we weren’t up against the rest of the world,” said Alia.

“I’ve accepted and fully understand the decision.

“But Alhamdulillah, the Asian countries still recognise the record.”

Earlier, National Shooting Association of Malaysia executive secretary Jasni Shaari said the association would not appeal to the ISSF to have the record recognised as a world mark.

Alia captured gold in the event when she registered 44 hits out of 50 targets, surpassing the previous Asian record of 41 hits set by South Korean shooter Yang Ji-in at the 2024 Asian Championships in Jakarta.

Alia described her experience at the event as one of the most meaningful moments of her 13-year career with the national team, and she is now shifting focus to winning gold at the SEA Games in Bangkok this December.

“It’s not just about the medal or the record - though of course, it’s one of the biggest achievements of my life. But the conditions I experienced during that final were completely unexpected. It’s something I’ll never forget,” she added. — Bernama