PETALING JAYA: To groom the next generation of gymnasts for Malaysia – that is the aim of Farah Ann Abdul Hadi.
The 27-year-old Olympian, who has been involved in artistic gymnastics for more than two decades, announced her decision to quit competitive action last week.
Farah said she would first pursue a career on professional judging and then hold camps and competitions to unearth new talents.
“I have done judging before, so now I want to learn more and go for courses to be the national and international judge,” said Farah at a press conference held at the SuezCap Tower in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
“I want to help teams on their routines and how to impress the judges in future competitions.”
She aims to start Farah Ann Cup and also in the pipeline is a plan to have her own academy.
“I will start small first, maybe host inter clubs and states. I want to inspire the new generation of gymnasts to believe that they can do more than what they are doing now and raise another Olympian,” she said.
“I would also love to conduct camps for the young ones. All these plans are short term.
“As for an academy, it will not be easy. It’ll cost RM500,000 to RM1mil to build a fully equipped gymnasium. Hopefully, we can do it in the future.”
Farah had a decorated career where she won 12 medals in the SEA Games, seven of them golds. She also won the silver medal in the 2016 Slovenia World Cup.
The most memorable moment was representing Malaysia at the Tokyo Olympic Games last year.
Farah said her decision to quit was inevitable.
“I’ve called time on my own terms and not because of some rule changes in the sports. I’ve gone through many changes in scoring in my 18 years with the national team,” she said.
“I’ve fulfilled all my dreams, and it’s time to allow the future generation to come up. It wasn’t easy to make this decision, it took me months.
“Gymnastics is my first love. I have been part of it since I was three years old. Now, I’m looking forward to my new journey.”
Meanwhile, Farah said she had absolute faith on Tan Ing Yueh, who would now spearhead the team.
“I have known her since she was 10. She is one of the most talented gymnasts I have trained with. She picks up skills well. She will be a good role model to others,” she said.
“Not to forget, Rachel (Yeoh Li Wen) who has been through so many injuries but has always bounced back.
“I believe these girls and the young ones will continue to fly the Jalur Gemilang high, especially in the upcoming SEA Games in Hanoi.”
Source: The Star
