KUCHING, Today, I've proven all those who wanted to see me fail wrong,' said Dayang Nurulnuhaa Fasihah Abang Misbahhuddin, the Sarawak petanque athlete who clinched gold in the women's shooting event at the 2024 Malaysia Games (SUKMA). The 18-year-old was overcome with emotion after winning the final. Dayang Nurulnuhaa said beyond facing criticism, she had to navigate numerous challenges and make significant sacrifices to achieve her gold medal. 'There were plenty of challenges, especially if we are in sports. It includes our training environment and the comments from others. For every supporter who cheers for us, there are those who hope we'll fail. 'But I'm deeply grateful to my family and team for their constant support that helped me win this gold medal,' she told Bernama after her win. Earlier, Dayang Nurulnuhaa ended an eight-year gold medal drought in petanque at SUKMA by winning the women's shooting event, defeating Federal Territories' Nur Arissa Qasreena Ratinan with a score of 29-27 in the fi nal. Looking forward, Dayang Nurulnuhaa hopes her SUKMA success will catch the eye of the national team coaches, saying that she dreams of competing on a bigger stage and making Malaysia proud in petanque. 'I hope to join the national team if the opportunity arises and represent Malaysia in the upcoming SEA Games,' Dayang Nurulnuhaa, who aspires to be an educator, said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency