Selangor Karate athlete N.Haretashni aims to end her final Malaysian Games (SUKMA) campaign in a memorable way, as she sets her aim on winning gold this August.
After winning silver in the individual event in the previous SUKMA, the 21-year-old is now confident than ever to get the top prize in the individual kumite category while helping Selangor defend the women’s team kumite title won at SUKMA Sarawak 2024.
Haretashni said the preparation for the game started last year through intensive training session and participation in many tournaments to improve her overall performance.
Recently the athlete completed in the 34th MAKAF National Karate Championship, where she won the silver medal. Despite missing the gold, Haretashni said the competition showed a progress that’s positive in her fighting ability and performance level.
Haretashni expects strong challenges from Sabah, especially after observing the team’s tactics in previous competition. She said this year they will probably be introducing new athletes and fresh strategies.
“Now we can already see the way they fight and the tactics they use. So in the next two to three months we will improve our weaknesses and make the best possible preparations,” she said.
Coach Loganeshaa Rao has said Selangor will remain confident of winning gold medal, but mental preparation is equally important in modern karate competition.
He noted karate in Malaysia has become more competitive, with every state producing highly skilled fighters capable of challenging for medals. According to him, the team now focuses not only on technical and strategy training, but also strengthening the athletes psychological resilience ahead of the games.
Sources: Bernama sukma
