KUALA LUMPUR: Terengganu's kayak star Syahida Asyqin Rusli is thinking of calling it a day. And she is only 18.
Syahida hinted at retirement from the sport after winning at the Malaysia Games today. She broke another national record, clocking 47.315 seconds en route to gold at the Putrajaya Water Sports Complex. It bettered the national mark of 48.31s set by Aimi Ayuni Azwan last year.
Johor's Farah Zulaika Tokiman (47.576s) and Federal Territories' Aisyah Farhanah Azwan (53.805s) came in second and third.
Syahida later teamed up with Anis Unaizah Mat Su to win the K2 200m gold in 46.365s, which was also a national record, beating the 47s set by Nor Azita Ibrahim and Nor Azira Ibrahim in 2014. FT's Aisyah and Marina Muzaffa (46.392s) and Johor's Farah and Nur Atasha Nabila Saring (46.402s) completed the podium.
However, Syahida, who has won four gold, two silver and one bronze in the competition so far, stressed that the KL Malaysia Games is likely to be her first and last.
"I'm quite pleased with my performance. I honestly didn't expect to do this well as this is my first Malaysia Games," said Syahida.
"But I don't think I will continue kayaking competitively after this. I will probably retire after this Malaysia Games.
"I plan to study early childhood education at Kolej Teknologi Antarabangsa Cybernetics (enrolment later this year).
"If I get an offer to study somewhere where I can balance both (sports and studies), I might consider it. But to me studies are more important."
In the men's events, Johor's Fakhrullah Mohd Rumaize claimed the gold in the K1 200m in a time of 38.832. FT's Khairul Naim Zainal (40.521) and Terengganu's Arif Fitri Mazelan (40.772) placed second and third respectively.
Fakhrullah later teamed up with Ahmad Nuqman Hadi Ayob to win the men's K2 200m in 37.459s. FT's Khairul and Nazrin Najib (38.801s) and Terengganu's Zakwan Fahmi Abdull and Syed Amirul Helmie Tuan Sedik (38.887s) claimed silver and bronze.
The TK2 200m class gold was won by Johor's Ridzuan Abdul Aziz and Shahrin Haziq Shahbireen (48.305s). Terengganu (Amar Hakim Luqman Fadhil, Baharin Hamzah) claimed silver on 49.480s while FT (Afif Anas Hazmani, Nurmatin Lukman) completed the podium on 51.241s.