Games come first, studies later
PRIORITY: Dhabitah focuses on Rio before SPM
IT is a crucial year for Nur Dhabitah Sabri as the 17-year-old is not only competing in the Olympics but also sitting for her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
Because of the demands of training and competitions, the Kuala Lumpur-born has not been attending classes at Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) regularly but the diver is not fretting over it.
In fact, Nur Dhabitah, who is in the Tassawur stream, will not be taking her revision books to Rio when she debuts in the Olympics.
The SPM starts in November. “I will not bring my revision books to Rio. Although I have a lot to catch up in studies, I will only revise after I return from the Olympics.
“I am now focused on bringing glory to the nation,” Nur Dhabitah told when contacted in China recently.
“The Olympics and my studies are equally important but if I juggle both at once, I may not be able to give my best in either.
“I have attended school for only two weeks so far this year as I have been busy with training and competitions.
“The Olympic Games is only held once in four years and I do not know whether I will be still active in 2020.
“I had to make a difficult decision and chose the Olympics as a priority.”
It has been like a fairy tale for Nur Dhabitah, the youngest diver for the Olympics, since 2014.
Her first international success came when she and Pandelela Rinong won a bronze in the 10m platform synchro at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Nur Dhabitah booked her first Olympic ticket by winning the platform individual gold at last year’s Asian Cup in Kuala Lumpur before she and Jun Hoong earned a berth in the 3m springboard synchro by finishing fifth in the Rio World Cup in February.
“I am so excited to be part of the Olympic contingent. I just want to do my best and score high.
“It will be a bonus if I can return with a medal,” said Nur Dhabitah.
Nur Dhabitah is highly regarded by national coach Yang Zhuliang as he sees her as a potential raw talent who will make it big one day.
She is equally good in the springboard and the platform with very high degree of difficulties in both disciplines.
“My diving career has been on the high of late. It is like a dream being part of the senior team.
“I do not think about negatives, only positives in my everyday life, and I guess it helps me to continuously progress in the sport,” said the youngster, who aspires to be an entertainment TV presenter.
Nur Dhabitah celebrated her birthday on July
12 at the team’s training base in Dongguan,
China, where her teammates bought her presents and a birthday cake.
“My training is going fine. I am currently working on strengthening my partnership with Jun Hoong,” she said.
Like most of her seniors, Nur Dhabitah started off with swimming before switching to diving.
“I was only five years old when my father (Sabri Hashim) registered me for swimming classes at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil.
“However two years later, my father switched me to diving at the Kuala Lumpur Swimming Complex in Cheras.
“He felt I had no future in swimming and thus switched me to diving,” Nur
Dhabitah added.