Nabilah claims criterium crown with brilliant comeback

SEPANG: Kedah's Nurul Nabilah Asri claimed women's criterium gold at the Selangor Malaysia Games (Sukma) on Tuesday, demonstrating her exceptional sprinting abilities. The event utilized a points system with sprints every four laps, and Nabilah finished with a strong 21 points. Terengganu's Ameera Alya Zahirrudin and Nur Aieris Madhiah Adni secured second and third places respectively.

Nabilah's victory marked her second gold of the games, following her win in the mountain bike cross-country Olympic (XCO) event the previous week. She explained that she was second in the first sprint and fourth in the second, but managed to come back and win the last three sprints. Ameera, a formidable sprinter, posed a challenge, and Nabilah acknowledged feeling tired after earlier races but managed to perform well.

Fitrah, who won the criterium gold for Kedah at Sarawak 2024, shared her happiness at securing victory again. Nabilah, the younger sister of three-time Asian Championships gold medallist track sprinter Izzah Izzati, aims to assist Kedah in retaining the team category gold in the women's mass start road race on Wednesday. She believes the route will likely end in a bunch sprint and notes that Terengganu and Johor could attempt breakaways.

Nabilah was part of the Kedah squad that won the team category gold at Sarawak, joining Fitrah, Zahra Afifah Zamri, and Phi Kun Pan.