Don’t get too cozy

Painful defeat: Nurul Syasya Nadiah Ariffin, who won the SEA Games gold in 2021, finished 23rd out of 55 shooters in the qualification round.

BREAK away from the safety net.

This is the advice from national pistol coach Firdaus Abd Rahim after 10m air pistol shooter Nurul Syasya Nadiah Ariffin fell short of reaching the final at the Aichi Prefectural Shooting Range yesterday.

The 23-year-old Syasya, who won the SEA Games gold in Hanoi in 2021, finished 23rd out of 55 shooters in the qualification round with 569 points.

She missed the top-eight cut by a wide margin, with a minimum of 575 needed to advance to the final.

“Syasya is still trapped in that state and hasn’t broken out of it,” said Firdaus.

“As a coach, I have to push my athlete so she can improve. If she doesn’t change her mindset and approach, nothing will progress. It is like remaining buried underground and never stepping out.”

Firdaus admitted he was caught off guard by the result, pointing out that Syasya has now returned an identical score of 569 in three big tournaments.

She posted an identical score to finish 27th at the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, and shot the same mark at the ISSF World Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia two years ago.

“I was a bit shocked. The start was good, but then she lost her focus and couldn’t deliver,” he said.

“This is the third big tournament where she shot a score of 569.

“What is most disappointing is that making the final only required another six points, and Syasya’s actual standard is well above that.

“We gave her all the support needed, but in the end, it comes down to the athlete.

“It is deeply disappointing because it is a repetition of past performances.”

Despite the setback, Firdaus stressed that Syasya still has time to grow but urged her to raise her ambitions beyond regional success.

“We understand she is only 23 and still young, but we don’t want her to settle for being just a local champion at events like the SEA Games,” he said.

“She needs to learn from this setback and come back stronger for the upcoming mixed team and sport pistol events.

“When competing at an Asian-level tournament against world champions, one cannot let fear or overthinking hold he or she back – the athlete must embrace the challenge and master the game plan.”

He added: “As coaches, our frustration is high, but this is not the end for us.

“We will keep moving forward, hoping for better performances while shifting our focus to next events.”

All eyes will be on Olympian Johnathan Wong, who will compete in the men’s 10m air pistol today.