A heavily pregnant woman is among Malaysia’s shooting team and is bidding to win the country’s first ever Olympic gold, AFP reports.
Navy logistics officer Nur Suryani Mohamad Taibi, 29, is more than eight months pregnant and is due in early September. But that didn’t stop her from competing in the women’s 10m air rifle competition at London’s Royal Artillery Barracks on Saturday, in a warm up for the Games. Nur Suryani won gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and bronze in Asian Games the same year. Shooting requires an extremely steady hand and body, which could be disrupted if her baby girl kicks at the wrong time. The Malaysian told AFP: “I’m feeling confident with my condition. I’m always relaxed and good”. She also insists her scores remained consistent in training throughout her pregnancy.
Malaysia’s shooting team leader Muzli Mustakim said she’s not worried about the markswoman. “She’s just like any other athlete. She’s acting like normal. It’s a good baby because she’s also very calm and she’s mentally focused on her shoot so that helps a lot,” she added. Nur Suryani also needed special permission to board the plane to London.
