The Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BNOC) plans to have Maziah Mahusin (pic) carry the country's flag at the London Olympics opening ceremony.

BNOC secretary-general Hj Zuraimi Hj Abdul Sani told Reuters via a telephone interview yesterday that the Sultanate is proud to be sending a female athlete to the Olympic Games for the first time.

Hj Zuraimi said: "Of course we are proud. The members of the public are happy to hear that Brunei is taking part in the Olympic Games, especially with the sending of a woman to represent the country."

He then added that the BNOC planned to have Maziah carry the country's flag at the opening ceremony in London on July 27.

Meanwhile, Maziah's anxious wait is finally over and her dreams are about to be realised, the 400 metres runner has been granted a universality place at the London Games and will proudly become Brunei's first female Olympian.

The BNOC announced in June that it will be sending Maziah, her track and field teammate Ak Hafiy Tajuddin Pg Rositi and national swimmer Anderson Lim Chee Wei to the London Games this month.

But, with Maziah's personal best clocked at more than 10 seconds outside the global athletics governing body's 'A' standard qualifying time, she endured an agonising wait to see if the IAAF would grant her an invite to compete.

Last week the news came through ... she was heading to London.

"I feel deeply honoured, it's a dream come true, even though it's under the concept of universality. I am happy to see the flag of Brunei Darussalam being hoisted in London," Maziah told Reuters in an interview.

"I was very nervous and at the same time anxious to find out who will be the first female athlete to represent Brunei. I'm even more nervous now because the Olympics are less than 21 days away," she said yesterday.

Courtesy from Brunei Times