By Fitri Hazim Hazam
SHAH ALAM, June 11 — National tower runner Soh Wai Ching has acknowledged that his efforts and sacrifices over eight years of training in the sport were worthwhile when he was crowned Selangor Sportsman of the Year 2024.
The 30-year-old athlete described the recognition, which he received for the second consecutive year, as a motivational boost to continue achieving success and bringing pride to both Selangor and Malaysia.
“I trained tirelessly every day for eight years, climbing stairs. There were times I almost gave up due to intense mental pressure, but it was all worth it when I finally became world champion.
“I am truly grateful for this recognition. Being named Selangor Sportsman of the Year for two years in a row is a great honour,” he told the press during the Selangor State Sports Awards ceremony at Dewan Jubli Perak Sultan Abdul Aziz yesterday.
For his victory, Soh took home a RM10,000 cash prize, an accompanying trophy, and a certificate, presented by Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
When asked about his upcoming plans, he said that he aims to break the Guinness World Record for stair climbing on a machine at an event scheduled to take place in Bandar Utama this July.
“The current record is held by a runner from Spain with a distance of 1.704 km. I am targeting a distance of 1.701 km within one hour,” Soh said.
As for the recipient of the Selangor Sportswoman of the Year Award, lawn bowler Nor Farah Ain Abdullah said she did not expect to receive such a prestigious award, considering the many outstanding athletes who have contributed to sports in Selangor.
“I did not expect to win this award because, truthfully, there are many other strong candidates or top players at both the state and national level.
“Throughout my ten years as a Selangor athlete, I have made countless sacrifices, including my study time, training, and financial expenses,” she said.
Commenting on the injury to her right shoulder, Farah Ain said that it has shown positive progress over the past three weeks.
“I am still undergoing rehabilitation to strengthen my right shoulder because I am aiming to compete in the World Bowls Championship, which will be held in November. I will begin training in early July,” said the current world number one.
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