Wahidah binti Kamarul Zaman. – FADHIL YUNUS
BRUNEI Darussalam’s sole karate athlete Wahidah binti Kamarul Zaman will compete in the women’s individual kata at the 18th Asian Games (Asiad) at the Jakarta Convention Center Plenary Hall in Jakarta.
The national karateka was part of the kata team that won bronze for the country in the 2017 Southeast Asia (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur and will look to make a mark in the individual event for the first time in a major tournament.
The 19-year-old is looking to get a few wins under her belt at an even grander stage having made her debut in the SEA Games.
“I hope to reach the first or second round. This is the first time where I’ll be competing in the individual event and I hope to perform well,” said Wahidah in an interview with the media.
Wahidah admitted that she felt nervous at first because last time around a team was sent to a major tournament but now she gained confidence to deliver a good performance.
She has been training for two months and also took part in a competitive meet in Thailand to prepare for Asiad as exposure which boosted her confidence.
Wahidah was first introduced to karate during a co-curricular activity at her secondary school at the Raja Isteri Girls High School (STPRI) and initially she only considered it as a hobby.
Her coach spotted her potential in the sport and encouraged to try and compete which she did and having taken part in competitions, Wahidah found a desire to make refinements in her game.
She joined the sport in 2011 and in 2017 aged just 18, was selected to represent the country at the SEA Games and brought back bronze home alongside Amirah Syahidah binti Abdul Rahim and Aufa Bazilah binti Abdul Razak.
