KUCHING: Dayang Annuariza has always supported her daughter Zara Nur Zarifah Mohd Yusof in pursuing taekwondo from primary one until now
The mother of Sarawak’s women individual freestyle poomsae gold medalist said that she spends a lot of time communicating with her through mobile phone rather than meeting face to face to alleviate her longing for Zara.
“She undergoes a lot of training away from home, here and there. Because of that, we are often apart, but this is her sacrifice, and it has brought her to this level of achievement.
“As a mother, I do not want my child to feel neglected, especially when she is far away from me. I admit we have to be apart so that she can chase her dreams in taekwondo,” she said to reporters on August 18.
She also explained that even though there are holidays to spend at home or with the family, they decided to sacrifice that time as her daughter (Zara) needs to attend external training sessions related to taekwondo.
“My husband and I are the ones who will take her wherever she needs to go to further develop her talent in taekwondo.
“We thank God because all the training she has gone through has paid off,” she added.
In the meantime, Zara explained that missing out on celebrations like Hari Raya Aidilfitri and vacations has become a regular occurrence ever since she got involved in the sport.
“This is something that has become normal, undergoing continuous training in preparation for any of the upcoming Malaysia Games (SUKMA),” she said.
She also expressed her excitement about her achievement and extended her gratitude to the team management, especially the president of World Taekwondo Federation Malaysia (WTF) Azizul Annuar Adenan, for the unwavering support that helped her achieve her dream.
“Additionally, I also thank my parents, family, and friends who have always stood by me,” she said.
