KUALA LUMPUR – Eva Goh Hann Ning, the teen gymnast who travelled from Muar to Kuala Lumpur daily to train, is the living embodiment of the idea that persistence is a key ingredient to success.
She may be only 13 years old, but the Olympics dreamer understands what needs to be done to achieve her goal.
Speaking to The Vibes, her former coach Sarina Sundara Rajah said that when Eva was 6 years old, she considered quitting the sport following her disappointing outing at the 2015 Shoin Cup in Japan – it was her first international gymnastics event.
But as she was reminded about her Olympics target, the Johor-born decided to keep going.
“She was very nervous and performed relatively poorly in both routines, freehand, and rope, where she made so many mistakes and she forgot some parts of the routine.
“She considered quitting the sport and understandably so. Each athlete is different, and their response to these competitive stressors will vary too,” she said.
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Sarina, who is the founding principal of the Sarina Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, trained Eva from 4 to 9 years old.
The former Commonwealth gold medallist also said that despite being the youngest gymnast at the tournament, Eva made a lasting impression on everyone who met her.
As such, Sarina was optimistic that she could help Eva work through her issues.
‘Eva’s golden comeback’
Supported by her team of coaches, Sarina systematically increased Eva’s hours of training per week in addition to a daily home practice schedule.
Eva’s new training schedule was also strongly supported by her parents – Stephanie Ng Chi Yean and Goh Boon Piu.
After a year of dedication and hard work, Sarina said her trainee returned to the 2016 edition of the Shoin Cup and surprised the judges by clinching a gold medal in the individual all-around category.
“Eva has a strong work ethic and a good head on her shoulders. She is a force of nature, inspiring everyone in her path.
“To me, she and her family embody the spirit of ‘Malaysia Boleh’, and I hope they receive the support they deserve as we empower ‘Keluarga Malaysia’ through sports.”
Eva, who turned 13 in August this year, recently spoke to The Vibes about her dream to compete at the Olympics.
It came as a surprise to her parents, seeing that it would take an enormous amount of hard work and perseverance to go through training, but Eva proved herself consistently by balancing her studies at SMK Sultan Abu Bakar in Johor and gymnastics training currently at Rhythmic Excellence Unity Academy in Kuala Lumpur.
Sarina believed that for sports to grow, the country must invest in grassroots athletes – regardless of the sport, gender, ethnicity, club, or state representation.
However, the Safe Sport advocate said that there have been fewer opportunities for girls to participate in sports, while female athletes have been presented with many challenges to pursue a career in sports.
She cited a significant example from the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in September when several women’s sports events were dropped due to lack of participation.
A couple of weeks before the Games, the National Sports Council said there were not enough states entering the women’s diving events as well as women’s karate, weightlifting, and canoeing.
“Women’s sports are on the rise. However, plenty of research shows that too many girls disengage from sports in their teens compared to boys.
“This is a significant loss in talent and revenue. Much more needs to be done in this country to influence participation and keep girls in the game.
“We deserve equitable opportunities, recognition, and support like our male counterparts,” she added. – The Vibes, November 9, 2022
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