His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, the president of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BDNOC) (L) poses for a photo with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach at the Olympic Club, Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday. Picture: Courtesy of BDNOC
HIS Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, the president of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BDNOC), reminded the three national athletes at the Rio Olympics to keep their focus.
HRH met up with the national contingent at the Barra Olympic Village before departing Rio de Janeiro on Monday and gave advice and motivation to sprinters Md Fakhri Ismail and Maizurah Abd Rahim and shuttler Jaspar Yu Woon Chai.
“Always think positive, look forward and give full focus and concentration during competition,” said HRH in a report sent by the national contingent secretariat yesterday.
“Believe in yourself, trust in your technique that has been taught by your coach and don’t be easily influenced by others. Be careful of psychological war that can worsen performances before and during competitions.
“Don’t let your mind control you, you should control your mind. Do not be too worried if things go wrong during the match and regain your focus.
“When the games start, the coach can only provide support and encouragement to the athletes from the outside.
“It will be down to the athletes’ mental strength and determination to compete, set the strategy and perform when in the arena.
“I will always provide support even though I won’t be in Rio de Janeiro to watch the matches, but I will always pray and watch the matches from Brunei,” concluded HRH.
He will play his first match against World No 12 Hu Yun of Hong Kong on Friday (Saturday 6.55am Brunei time).
Fakhri is set to compete in the men’s 100m event on Saturday and Maizurah will lace up in the women’s 200m event on Monday.
