KUANTAN – National shot putter Nani Sahirah Maryata’s bid to break her national record was thwarted by a judging error at the Malaysia Open Athletics Championships today.
During her third throw, Nani was initially declared to have broken the national record with a distance of 14.60m. However, the organisers later corrected the measurement.
Undeterred, the 23-year-old achieved a season-best throw of 14.99m, securing the gold medal.
Nurul Ainin Sauqinna claimed silver, while Norliyana Kamaruddin took bronze.
“As the current national record holder, I sensed that the distance was unlike any I had previously achieved,” Nani said.
“The scoring machine displayed 14.60m, which I suspected was the old record, leading to confusion.
“Although I felt nervous, I doubted whether my throw had indeed broken the record.
“Unfortunately, it hadn’t, but I’m still pleased with the technique and performance I displayed this time.”
The Pahang-born athlete first made headlines with a throw of 14.48m at the Grand Final Sports Championship of Higher Education Institutions in 2022, surpassing the old national record of 14.41m set by Lee Chiew Har in 1989.
While Nani previously threw 15.22m at the Perak Open Championship in April last year, this record was not recognised by World Athletics.
However, she redeemed herself with a throw of 15.01m at the Taiwan Open Championships, which remains the national record.
“Breaking the national record is special, especially when it’s your own record,” Nani added.
“To be honest, I don’t care about incentives or bonuses for breaking the national record because, for me, self-satisfaction is everything.
“My goal remains to achieve a throw beyond 15m. Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be here, but I hope to improve at the Asean University Games in Surabaya at the end of this month.” – June 14, 2024