Kuala lumpur: National women’s sprinter Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli does not want her coaching duties at the Bukit Jalil Sports School (SSBJ) to interfere with her dream of competing at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand in December. The 32-year-old athlete, also known as ‘Adik’, said her focus now is on recovering from a ligament injury in her foot, sustained while competing at the Asian Track and Field (ATF) Championships in Gumi, South Korea, in May, as she works towards qualifying for the biennial Games.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Zaidatul shared that balancing work and recovery is challenging and that the recovery process is taking longer since she is already working. She discovered the injury only after returning from the competition and has since been training slowly. Her preparations are now focused on the upcoming Malaysia Open, which she sees as crucial in her build-up for the SEA Games. Despite her top 3 timing being sufficient for qualification, she is eager to test her progress in the lead-up to the final stages of selection.

Zaidatul, recently appointed as an athletics coach at SSBJ, expressed hope that the return of sprint coach Mohd Poad Kassim to the national squad would aid her consistency. She emphasized the importance of having a coach for motivation and technical refinement, acknowledging that experienced guidance is essential for detecting and correcting mistakes.