JENNYLA OVERCOMES CYNICAL VIEWS , TO WIN FIRST PARA SUKMA GOLD

KUCHING, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- Despite being hurt by the cynicism of people around her, Sarawak athlete, Jennyla Kueh managed to rise up and find her own strength to end her 18-year wait for a gold medal of the Para Malaysia Games (Para SUKMA) in the 2024 edition, here, today.

Jennyla, who works as a seamstress in Ampang, Selangor, said she went through difficult times just to ensure that her efforts to contribute a medal in the women's javelin event F55/F56/F57 (physical impairment) for her beloved state bear fruit at the biennial games. 

'Honestly, the talk of the people around me used to make me feel down as it's not easy to hold two roles at the same time of balancing a career as a tailor and an athlete. Added to this is the status as a disabled person who finds it difficult to get work.

"Sometimes I have to stay positive, lift myself up before others lift us up, we can't expect people to give us encouragement only," she told Bernama after the medal presentation ceremony at the Stadium Sarawak, here.

The athlete from Bau said she was willing to make the sacrifice of taking three weeks unpaid leave to fully focus on her seventh Para SUKMA appearance.

Born with a disabled left leg, Jennyla said that she had previously faced difficulties in getting permission to undergo training from her employer despite having a clearance letter from the Sarawak State Youth and Sports Department.

"Perhaps those out there need to sit in my position and feel what it's like to live as a worker and athlete plus being far from the family and have to do everything by yourself without the help of others," said Jennyla, who also contributed a silver in the discus throw in the same class yesterday.

In the meantime, she hopes that today's success can spur her enthusiasm to hunt for a second gold in the women's shot put event F55/F56/F57(physical impairment) scheduled to take place tomorrow.

The 35-year-old athlete is also determined to continue performing at Para SUKMA for as long as her strength allows and dedicates her achievements to her coach Faridul Masri for the help and support he has been given all this time.

Her javelin throw of 11.81 metres beat Perlis’s Feelzah Abdullah (10.96m) who took the silver and Sarawak's Siti Nurmala Brahim who won the bronze (8.52m).

-- BERNAMA