| Fadhil Yunus |
HER Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah binti Pengiran Haji Salleh Ab Rahaman yesterday attended the 7-9 Years (SC) Swimming Championship as Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Anak Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah binti Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah capped a dominant performance with four gold medals and one silver at the International School Brunei (ISB) Swimming Pool.
Also present was Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Muda Muhammad Aiman ibni Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah.
Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Anak Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah swam to perfection in the championship winning all her individual races that she was registered in namely the 25m butterfly, 25m freestyle, 25m backstroke and 25m breaststroke.
Yang Teramat Mulia, who marked her competitive debut at the end of last year, announced her arrival in the national scene in style with an excellent performance.
Factoring her quick times and performances in the 2018 season, Yang Teramat Mulia is now considered as the best swimmer in her age group of seven year in the country.
Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Anak Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah of ISB Hammerheads was the only swimmer in her age group that recorded a sub-30 second time in the 25m backstroke with a personal best of 26.59s, eclipsing her old time of 30.17s.
She made it a double gold in the 25m freestyle after clocking a personal best of 24.11s, beating her old mark of 26.40s before continuing her stellar showing with gold in the 25m breaststroke with a time of 32.22s, a personal best blowing her old time of 37.17s out of the waters.
Yang Teramat Mulia completed a clean sweep after she struck gold in the 25m butterfly with a personal best of 31.72s, surpassing her old time of 33.40s.
She was also part of the ISB Hammerheads team that clinched silver in the mixed 100m freestyle relay alongside Yul Park, Sara Elysia Patel and Sam Briasco.
ISB Hammerheads head coach Jeremy Salasibar said that Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Anak Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah was a deserving multiple gold medallist as her hard work in training finally reaped its rewards.
“I think Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Anak Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah deserved the four gold medals today because she worked hard for that,” said Jeremy in an interview with the Bulletin.
“She came up to the pool full of confidence in going for the swim. She wanted to get good times and good PB (personal best). She beat all her times four to five seconds better than the previous record and it comes with the gold medals,” he further added.
“I think the hard work that she’s been doing during training paid off,” asserted the coach.
Asked if Yang Teramat Mulia has risen to the top of her age group in the country, Jeremy accepted: “As of now in 2018, I think she is currently the best not only because of the medals but performance wise and the times that she has achieved.”
“She is six or seven seconds faster than the other competitors so I think for 2018 for the seven-year olds in Brunei I think she is at the top,” continued the head coach.
Yang Teramat Mulia was introduced to the national scene last year and her coach was quick to point out that she has a gifted talent.
“I think Yang Teramat Mulia has talent in swimming and I can see that. Last year, we are looking for exposure for her even though she was just six year old.
“We want her to join the competitions for her to learn how to compete and understand why she has been training.”
“This year, she has been training really good and, even though in other competitions like the age groups where she is one of the youngest, we let her join just to have the experience to join the competition.
“I think because of the experiences even though it is not a lot, it is starting to pay off because she is getting the confidence to compete and I think that is one of the key elements why she is successful.
“She trains, she is getting the confidence and I think she has some talent as well,” noted the head coach.