Malaysia’s Aaliyah Yoong Hanifah, 19, won her first IWWF world podium medal by finishing 3rd of 12 finalists in the Women’s Jump with 45.2m at the IWWF Waterski World Championship in Chapala, Mexico. “This is a historic achievement to emerge 3rd in U21 world championship women’s jump event as Aaliyah had become not only the first Malaysian but also the first Asian to get onto an IWWF waterski world championship podium,'” according to Hanifah who is the Chief coach of the Malaysian Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (MWWF).
Aaliyah who had just started her University education last January through a Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) star scholarship found this feat especially sweet as she had to juggle time training 3 events in waterski and studying in the Florida Southern College.
Aaliyah said, “I’m so excited for my results as I had pushed all out for my first world podium here,”
She added that she had just missed out for another bronze medal in the overall discipline by finishing a close fourth to Australian Lara Butlin.
Aaliyah is sponsored by National Sports Council Malaysia (MSN), Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD), Perbadanan Putrajaya (PPj), Nautique Boats USA, D3 Skis USA, Reflex Bindings and the Putrajaya Waterski School operated by the MWWF and her affiliate WWWC.
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