By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 7: Bibiana Ahmad may have already struck gold, but the bigger challenge lies ahead as Sarawak begins mapping out her path from domestic success to international competition and ultimately, a shot at the Paralympic Games 2028 in Los Angeles.
According to a report by Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas), Bibiana’s victory in the women’s Lightweight 61kg category is not only a significant achievement but also forms part of Sarawak’s early preparations to build her towards the Paralympic Games 2028.
Her coach, Jamil Adam, said the achievement came after Bibiana had spent time in the podium programme, although her previous preparations had largely focused on national-level competitions.
“We will try to maintain this achievement and good performance, while at the same time, we are preparing a pathway towards the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics.
“She has only been in the programme for a year, and we hope that next year she can participate in several international competitions and perform at a very high level to qualify for the Paralympics 2028 in Los Angeles,” he said.
Jamil said the team’s focus would now extend beyond domestic competitions, with international exposure forming an important part of Bibiana’s development and preparations for the Paralympic qualification pathway.
He said preparations were already being stepped up to ensure Bibiana would be ready to compete at international events, including the Para Games scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur next year.
The team is also eyeing a competition in Mexico this November as part of its preparations, he added.
“However, at this early stage of preparation, we are giving our full focus to ensuring she is ready to face any international events next year,” he said.
For Bibiana, the latest gold therefore represents more than a medal, with the result providing an early foundation as she looks to make the transition from national-level competition to the international stage and keep her Paralympic dream on track. —DayakDaily
