Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
BRUNEI will be represented by four karatekas to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Farhah Syahirah Mohd Shamrin will contest in the women's individual kata event and then team up with Rodhayatul Adwanna Bakar and Farhana Najeeh Abdul Rahman for the team kata event.
On the other hand, Muhd Harith Dahlan will see action in the -60kg men's individual kumite event.
Farhah acknowledged that training hasn't been the easiest but is prepared for the Sept 23 - Oct 8 Games.
"Training has been intense leading up to the Games. I've dedicated myself to three training sessions a day," said Farhah in an interview with BruSports News.
"In the mornings and afternoons, I focus on my individual event, and at night, I work on my team kata event.
"With this rigorous preparation, I can say that we are ready to compete and win for our country," she added.
"In terms of techniques and performance, we are exactly where we need to be.
"Therefore, for us to maintain our peak performance, it is crucial to ensure proper recovery between sessions— to prevent overtraining and avoid burnout," continued the 20-year-old.
The women's kata team have been training together since 2018 and competed in several outings together.
Farhah feels that team chemistry is at a high level.
"The synchronisation within our team is strong, and we have a very close bond," said Farhah.
"For contingent games like this, it is our 5th time competing as a team. So, we are definitely very well bonded, and we have developed the chemistry necessary for a successful team kata performance.
"If I were to rate our synchronisation on a scale of 1 to 10, I can confidently say we're at a 9 right now," added Farhah.
"We are continuously working hard to reach that perfect 10 as we prepare for game day," she continued.
When asked if she has set any personal targets for the competition, Farhah replied: "My goals are to secure podium finishes in both events.
"Eventhough there are two Olympic medalists in my category, I see it as an incredible opportunity to test my skills against the best.
"Sharing the tatami with them is a great honour itself, and I am fully committed to give my very best to strive for the gold medal, all in the name of representing Brunei with the utmost pride and dedication," she continued.
Harith aims high in Asian Games debut
Harith is coming off winning a bronze medal in the -55kg category at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia in May.
This time around he will contest in a higher weight category - which he finds better.
"The difference is a lot to me. During the SEA Games, eventhough it is just a 5kg difference, I struggled to lose weight to the point where my mental health declined," revealed Harith.
"But this time around, I am blessed to be put in this category as this is my actual weight.
"It is easier as I wouldn't have to worry much about losing weight and focus more on my trainings," added the 19-year-old.
Harith is thankful to be selected to represent Brunei and his training sessions have been continuous to prepare him, including a month in Surabaya, Indonesia.
He dreams of a podium finish and hopes he can make the country proud.
"I have high targets and aim to achieve what I want, which is to bring another medal for Brunei" said Harith.
"But my one and only personal goal is to make my country and parents proud.
"I seek for prayers and support from everyone in Brunei. No matter what the outcome is, I want everyone to know that we as athletes representing Brunei are trying our best," he concluded.
