PADDLER SABARIAH DEDICATES SILVER MEDAL TO HUBBY FOR FOURTH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

KUCHING, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- Sabariah Ismail spent two years being away from her husband so that she could join the Sabah table tennis team to prepare for the 2024 Malaysia Para Games (Para SUKMA).

Her sacrifice bore fruit today when she clinched a silver medal, which she immediately dedicated to her husband for their fourth wedding anniversary on Friday (Sept 27).

Although it is just a silver medal, Sabariah, who has been disabled since birth, described it as a meaningful gift for her husband, who is in Kuala Lumpur.

More so since she decided to quit her job as a seamstress just to join the team from the Land Below the Wind to prepare for the Para SUKMA 2024 two years ago.

"I've always loved playing table tennis, so that's why I decided to quit my job and be away from my husband for two years.

“I have only met my husband once or twice a year since 2022, so this silver medal is for our fourth wedding anniversary this Friday,” she told Bernama today.

In today's women's standing singles 6-8 (physical impairment) event at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (China) Chung Hua No. 3, the Kota Kinabalu-born Sabariah finished with a silver medal after defeating teammate Ferllin Willie Freddy 10-12, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 in the first match and losing 5-11, 7-11, 5-11 to Terengganu's Siti Nor Athirah Mohd Anuar.

In the men's standing singles 8 (physical impairment) category, Selangor's Mohd Syazreel Amri Mohd Ariffin clinched gold after defeating Negeri Sembilan's Mohd Shah 11-8, 11-5, 8-11,11-6 in the final.

Terengganu's Muhammad Khalid Imran Maslam brushed aside Selangor Muhammad Saiful Bahri Wan Din 5-11, 13-11, 11-2, 11-6 for bronze.

-- BERNAMA