Kuala lumpur: Once a star in the pool, former national swimming queen Nurul Huda Abdullah is now set to lead Malaysia on dry land as the chef de mission (CDM) to the SEA Games 2025 in Thailand from Dec 9 to 20. With about two months to go before the biennial Games kicks off, Nurul Huda, who is also Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) vice-president, believes that her experience as deputy CDM at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines will stand her in good stead as she prepares to spearhead the Malaysian contingent in the 'Land of Smiles'.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Nurul Huda expressed that the 2019 SEA Games opened her eyes to how to handle and lead big teams under the leadership of the then CDM Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin. She anticipates that the 2025 edition will pose challenges in terms of logistics, with more sports and Olympic events participating, but she remains confident in the contingent's improved performance this time around.
During her official visit to the national table tennis squad, she mentioned that the final number of Malaysian officials and athletes for the SEA Games will only be determined next month. Nurul Huda, 52, will be supported by three deputy CDMs: Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh, former sprint ace Nazmizan Muhammad, and former hockey player Jivan Mohan.
Nurul Huda holds the record for the most medals won by a Malaysian athlete at the SEA Games, with a remarkable total of 32 medals, comprising 22 gold, 8 silver, and 2 bronze across three consecutive editions in 1985, 1987, and 1989. She remains the first and only Malaysian female swimmer to have won a medal at the Asian Games, achieving 2 silver and 2 bronze medals at the 10th Asian Games in Seoul in 1986. Additionally, she represented Malaysia at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
When asked about the swimming squad's performance at the ongoing Asian Aquatics Championship 2025 in Ahmedabad, India, she expressed satisfaction with their achievement of securing two bronze medals so far. Malaysia claimed these bronzes through Khiew Hoe Yean in the men's 400 metre freestyle and the men's 4x200m freestyle relay. She regards this championship as a valuable opportunity to assess their standing against other countries ahead of the SEA Games 2025.