KUALA LUMPUR – After a sad episode at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang, national shooting champion Alia Sazana Azahari aims to get revenge at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou slated for later this month.
The 31-year-old athlete said that she had to settle for 579 points at the 2018 Games, just one point behind South Korea’s Kwak Junghye, who secured a ticket to the women’s 25-metre pistol final at the quadrennial Games with 580 points.
However, the 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, who is making her third appearance on the prestigious stage, said she is now on the right track after being coached by Mohamad Firdaus Abd Rahim, who has led the shooting team since 2020.
“I was under a South Korean coach five years ago. The South Koreans are the best and I also did my best but not good enough to make it to the final. So, I will use all that I’ve learned and my memory (of the 2018 Asian Games) as motivation to fight until the last shot.
“Next week, I will compete at the National Championship, but not as a favourite, just to get a feel of the competition. We have not made any drastic changes (with the coach) either, just to improve our skills,” she told reporters after the 2022 Asian Games Games chef de mission Datuk Chong Kim Fatt’s visit to the National Sports Council today.
However, Alia Sazana refused to divulge her personal goal as she anticipated tough competition from other Asian shooters who would definitely come with their own strengths.
“I know the Asian shooters are bloody amazing, they are like sharpshooters from another world, but they are also only human and anything can happen during the Games, so you’ll never know,” she said.
The Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games will run from September 23 to October 8. – September 8, 2023