Malaysia's
Petanque star Mohamad Nuzul Azwan Ahmad Termizi is the nation's best
bet in winning the country's first SEA Games gold medal in the sport in
Myanmar from Dec 11-22.
And it is with this in mind that Nuzul will be going all out to break his duck at the Myanmar SEA Games.
Nuzul came close twice. At the World Championships last year, he ended up with a bronze. He came even closer at the Confederations Cup in Jian, China, last month. He reached the shooting final only to be beaten 42-37 by Frenchman Jean-Michel Puccinelli.
The 25-year-old from Kuala Kangsar is Malaysia’s best bet to land the country’s first petanque gold at the Games. He was a bronze medallist in his Games debut in 2009 in Laos. Malaysia won two silvers and a bronze that year – their best medal haul to date since the sport was included in the Games line-up in 1999.
“I am more than well-prepared this time. In my debut (in 2009), I managed to win the bronze without having any prior big game experience,
“Now I’ve got more international experience under my belt, more knowledge and confidence ... On paper, I should be able to do well,” said Nuzul, a final year mechanical engineering student majoring in automotive at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
“Come to think of it, we (the team) have never returned home empty handed. It’s always the silvers or bronzes. Personally, I just need to catch that break and I think the SEA Games will provide me the perfect avenue to win my first international gold.”
Nuzul will only be making his second appearance at the Games after skipping the 2011 edition in Indonesia to concentrate on his studies.
The only worrying thing for Nuzul is his gung ho attitude. He is concerned about wanting the gold so much that he might get flustered and inadvertently cost him a chance at glory.
“Past competitions have taught me not to want it so much. I think there is a saying that the more you want something, the harder it becomes to achieve it. And I believe that,” said Nuzul, recounting his experience at the Confederations Cup.
“Being in the final, I just wanted it (to win the gold) so bad. I ended up being too hasty and scuffed my last throw which ended the game for me. It was a very hard and bitter lesson.
“But I’m ready to put that behind and come up with a mature showing at the Games. Nothing fancy. I’m going to stick to what I know best and get myself in the final and then hope for the best.”
No comments:
Post a Comment