PINT-SIZED Siti Nur Jannah Balqis Ramlan may be only 10 years old, but she has the heart of a fighter.
Even when pitted against runners way older than her in the women’s 100m Open final at the Negri Sembilan Open in Paroi Stadium in August, Siti was never intimidated.
She just ran her own race to clock 14.8 seconds.
Siti usually trains at SK Datuk Undang Abdullah in Jelebu from 5pm to 6.30pm under the guidance of Muhammad Raziman Abd Rashid and Irdina Alisya Abdullah.
And Siti has slowly but surely been improving.
She finished fifth in the girls’ Under-10 100m in 15.1s at the Negri Sembilan Schools Sports Council athletics championships (MSSNS) in March in Kuala Pilah.
Then, in the first leg of the MSSNS Diamond League in Kuala Pilah, Siti finished third in the girls’ Under-11 by clocking 14.6s in the 100m.
On Oct 17, Siti, still weak after just recovering from mumps, competed in the girls’ Under-11 long jump at Paroi Stadium in the second leg of the MSSNS Diamond League circuit but failed to finish in the top three.
So, what motivates her to excel in athletics?
Siti said: ‘Every time I come home from a competition with a medal, my mother, Sabariani Mat Sumi, will reward me with a good meal!
‘She will also take me shopping in Port Dickson and Kuala Lumpur to buy sports attire and shoes.’
Her motivation also comes from watching former national shuttler Lee Chong Wei in action.
‘My idol is Datuk Lee Chong Wei. I used to watch his matches on television and I simply adore his never-say-die attitude,’ she said.
Coach Raziman said they identified Siti’s talent through a Physical and Health Education lesson, which was conducted on ‘30mx20m patch of grass in our school, which does not have a field’.
‘She has good discipline and the right physique. She only needs to be corrected on the way she runs,’ he said.
‘I’m targeting for her to win the girls’ Under-12 gold medals in her favourite events - 100m, 200m and long jump - in the MSSNS meet in 2021.’