Kuala Lumpur: The latest jewel in Sabah’s athletics crown, Elissieball Jonal has announced her arrival on the National stage by producing a sizzling performance in the 2022 Malaysia Para Games (Para Sukma).
Elissieball hopes to don the National colours and make the country proud so as to change her family’s fortune and set the best example for her younger siblings.
The 18-year-old athlete from the interiors of Nabawan district, Sabah, clinched the gold medal in the F20 Women’s Long Jump (intellectual disability) at the National Sports Council Mini Stadium in Bukit Jalil, here.
In the final on Thursday, Elissieball who had just started honing her talent about three months ago, stole the limelight with a jump of 4.84m which was close to the tournament record of 4.91m.
Elissieball who often helped her family in the village is determined to ease the burden of her parents who are currently working as farmers in Kampung Ulu Mosopoh, to enjoy a better standard of living.
“Having been chosen to represent Sabah, I am so happy to win gold. Now, I want to win gold at the Asian Para Games,” she said.
Asked if she would accept an offer to become a national athlete, she said: “Yes! I want to change the fate of my family by becoming a national athlete,” she said, hoping to continue training in Sabah if chosen.
The third child of seven siblings is very supportive of her younger siblings’ involvement in sports and hopes that they too can achieve success in the future.
“They play sports but not at the national level... I hope that my younger brothers follow the steps of their older sister,” said the timid athlete.
Meanwhile, Sabah’s athletics squad coach (Tony Sawan) who prefers to remain modest said Elissieball only started training seriously in July though she had joined the team in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic
“She has natural strength and is well-built for athletics, I hope she can jump past 5m and represent Malaysia.
“When she was 15 years old, she successfully leaped 4.70m and won silver in the national championship in Johor in 2019,” he said.
According to him, the National Sports Council had shown interest in absorbing Elissieball into the national camp, but he hopes his protege will be given the flexibility to continue training in Sabah as was accorded to national athletes from the state before.
He said Elissieball has bright potential to win gold at the 2023 Asean Para Games, which is believed to be the beginning of more success if given special attention.
For comparison, the record of 4.84m created by Elissieball is no less great than the record of 5.20m created by National champion Siti Noor Radiah Ismail when she won bronze in the T20 women’s long jump (learning disability) at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
At the 2018 Para Asian Games, the event’s gold medal winner Oktavia Rica from Indonesia recorded 5.25m which is an Asian record while 4.99m is the lowest record in the finals of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games by Irina Potekhina from the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC).
