Nur Suryani puts London Olympic dream ahead of starting a family

PETALING JAYA: Motherhood can wait as double SEA Games gold medallist Nur Suryani Mohd Taibi (pic) sets her sights on realising her dream of competing in the London Olympics this year.

Suryani is at the Asian Champion­ships starting tomorrow in Doha, which is the final qualifying meet for shooters from the continent aiming to get on board the plane to London.

Suryani showed impressive form at the Indonesia SEA Games last November to strike a double in the women’s 10m air rifle and 50m rifle three-position, which eventually earned her the Woman Olympian of the Year award for 2011.

The 29-year-old, who got married a few months before the SEA Games, is hopeful she can get her act right in the Asian meet from Jan 11-22.

“Winning the two gold medals at the end of the year was a great wedding gift. I am more confident of my abilities and want to give my best shot to make the Olympics.

“I continued to prepare for the Asian meet after the SEA Games and stand a good chance of a top-five finish as the China shooters have already filled their Olympic quota,” said the determined Suryani.

“I have plans to raise a family but it can wait as my goal is to be the first Malaysian woman shooter to compete in the Olympics. My hubby (Marhazli Mohtar) is understanding and allows me to pursue my dream,” she added.

There are two Olympic spots for women’s 10m air rifle and three for the 50m rifle three-position up for grabs in the Asian meet.

Suryani has been consistent in the major tournaments over the past two years.
She stunned the shooting fraternity with a silver medal in the 10m air rifle event at the 2010 ISSF World Cup in Sydney before earning bronze in the same event at the Guangzhou Asian Games.
Suryani partnered Nur Ayuni Farhana Halim to take gold in the 10m air rifle pairs at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Malaysia have sent 15 shooters for the Asian meet, which is held every four years but Suryani, Farhana and Hasli Izwan Amir Hasan are the best hopes to make the cut for the Olympics.

Hasli was the country’s first shooter to qualify on merit for an Olympic shooting competition, which he achieved by earning a spot in the 2008 Beijing Games after winning silver at the previous Asian meet in Kuwait.

The local shooters competed in four ISSF World Cups and all Olympic qualifying events last year but failed to make the grade.


THE STAR