‘Relax, Fi, we’ve got this’: Nurul Farisya’s words help Muhammad Lutfir shake off nerves to win Sukma gold in diving

Nurul Farisya and Muhammad Lutfir on the podium with their gold medals at Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre.

By Karen Bong

KUCHING, Aug 23: “Relax, Fi, we’ve got this,” whispered Sarawak’s young diver Nurul Farisya Alia Affendi to her teammate Muhammad Lutfir Rahman Mohammad Razak as they prepared to dive in the mixed synchronised 10-metre platform event.

These calming words helped ease their nerves and set the stage for their gold-medal performance, scoring an impressive 234.66 points.

At just 15-years-old, Nurul Farisya admitted she was nervous, but knew the importance of staying composed for the sake of synchronisation.

“I told him our scores were strong so far, and there was no need to worry. We just had to relax and push through,” she shared with reporters after the prize presentation at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre in Petra Jaya.

Nurul Farisya’s performance in the 21st Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2024 was nothing short of remarkable, as she also secured two other gold medals in the women’s synchronised 10-metre platform with Nur Eilisha Rania Muhammad Abrar Raj and in the women’s 10-metre platform event.

Muhammad Lutfir, also aged 15, admitted he was confident yet extremely nervous because he feared he had not trained enough.

“I was worried that my training wouldn’t hold up in the competition,” he confessed.

Despite his concerns, he not only bagged the gold with Nurul Farisya, but managed to clinch a silver medal in the men’s 1-metre springboard.

Muhammad Lutfir dedicated his victory to his parents, who are also his coaches, crediting them for motivating him whenever he felt like giving up.

“I trained six days a week, about four to five hours a day. Sometimes I wanted to quit, but my parents kept me going,” he said.

With his winnings, he plans to treat his family, diving teammates, and coaches as a token of gratitude.

Looking ahead, Muhammad Lutfir is setting his sights on competing in more events at the next Sukma, as well as participating in the Malaysia Open and World Junior Championships.

The dynamic duo outperformed Perak’s pair, Megat Azim Hakimi Megat Nor Ismail and Cecelia Olivia Christopher Leoneil, who secured silver with 209.94 points, while the Federal Territory’s Ng Jia Gee and Nurqayyum Nazmi Mohamad Nazmi claimed bronze with 203.97 points.

Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Dato Gerald Rentap Jabu and Deputy Minister of Community Wellbeing Development Datuk Ricky @ Mohd Razi Sitam were present for the prize presentation ceremony. — DayakDaily