PUTRAJAYA - After a two-year hiatus, teenage waterskiing sensation, Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah is ready to get back into action.
The 18-year-old last competed at the Moomba Masters in Melbourne, Australia in 2020 before the Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to all sporting activities around the world.
Aaliyah will take part in the Moomba Masters from March 9 to 14.
It is certainly a privilege for Aaliyah as the week-long Moomba event, which coincides with the annual Moomba Festival, is a prestigious tournament where only the top world-ranked skiers are invited.
She made her debut in 2013 at the age of 9 and this will mark her 10th year participating in the event.
Aaliyah will be skiing in the tricks, slalom and jump events in both the junior and the open categories.
And she will certainly be looking to improve on her 2020 result in which she bagged just the tricks gold in the junior category.
“I am very happy with my training preparation for the Moomba event, and I am really looking forward to it,” said Aaliyah.
“Two years has been a long time and coincidentally, my last tournament was also the Moomba in 2020.
“I definitely hope that I am not competition-rusty after being out of it for so long.”
With this being Aaliyah’s last year in the junior event, she is hoping to go out with a bang with an eye on the top prize in tricks and overall. She is also targeting a podium finish in the jump event.
For the open category, the youngster is aiming for a top-five finish in the tricks event with her previous best only being a seventh-place finish. – The Vibes, March 7, 2022
