BJSS Sportz Blitz: October 2012

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Career In Sports Industry Seminar

SPORTCHECK: Pandelela, Haziq Win Top Awards

(From left) Traisy Vivien Tukiet, Nurul Shafiqah Hashim, Haziq Kamaruddin and Wendy Ng with their awards. Pic by Nurul Shafina Jemenon

OLYMPIC bronze medallist Pandelela Rinong bagged yet another award, this time as the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) female athlete of the year, yesterday.

Archer Haziq Kamaruddin, another BJSS product who represented the country in the London Olympics in July and August, was crowned the school's male athlete of the year.

Both athletes were honoured based on excellence achieved in their sports -- Pandelela, 19, as the country's first ever female Olympic medallist and the first medal winner from a sport (diving) other than badminton.

Haziq's award was based on his swift rise in the sport, having already made his Olympic debut and now preparing for a medal attempt in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.

"I'd like to thank the school for honouring me with this award. Now my focus is fully on qualifying for another Olympics," said Haziq, who is from Johor Baru.

The awards ceremony was officiated by Federal Territories Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin.

Raja Nong Chik also presented special awards of recognition to BJSS students who represented the country at the Olympics -- divers Pandelela, Traisy Vivien Tukiet and Wendy Ng, and archers Haziq and Nurul Shafiqah Hashim.

In his speech, Raja Nong Chik called on BJSS students to focus on discipline and developing their mental strength in order to achieve more successes in their respective sport.

He said South Korea and its swift rise in golf, a sport which the country only began to focus on seriously 10 years ago, should serve as an inspiration to BJSS students.

"To succeed in any area, these two elements are vital. We have to prove that although we have a small population we are capable of achieving world class success," said Raja Nong Chik.

Another 21 BJSS students who achieved academic excellence, were also given special awards. Among them were Lim Yin Fun (badminton) for her excellence in literature in last year's SPM exams, Farrah Ann Abdul Hadi (gymnastics) for her excellence in science and Chuah Yu Tian (athletics) the highest achiever in the pre-university course.