Nur Dhabitah Sabri facts
We always feel a sense of pride when we see Malaysian athletes competing at international sports meets such as the Olympic Games, because they are putting their best foot forward, representing our country abroad. At this year’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics, we had yet another impressive list of competing Olympians to cheer on.
One of them is Nur Dhabitah Sabri, a 22-year-old diver from KL who placed fourth in the Women’s 3m Springboard event. She’s well-known for her smile and talents – but here are 10 facts you may not know about the national diver and second-time Olympian, Nur Dhabitah Sabri.
1. She was born in Kuala Lumpur
Dhabitah and her parents
Image credit: mStar
Nur Dhabitah Sabri was born on 12th July 1999 in KL, and is the youngest of four siblings. Her father, Sabri Hashim, who is a teacher, and mother Fazidah Jaafar, are her biggest supporters. She dedicated a gold medal to them after placing first in the Women’s 3m Synchronised Diving with partner Ng Yan Yee, at the FINA Diving Grand Prix 2014 in KL.
Further showing just how much family means to her, she called them her inspiration to do well during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and recognised them as the reason why she started diving.
2. She started swimming at five years old
Dhabitah and her brother
Image credit: Berita Harian
All athletes had a start somewhere. Dhabitah began hers with her fearless spirit that was exhibited at a young age. Even at six years old, she was said to be unafraid of riding on roller coasters and hanging on monkey bars at the playground. This is why her parents allowed her to swim at five years old, and she showed a knack for the activity.
She only decided to take on diving when she was eight, as her father believed her petite stature would be a better fit for diving. Some of her diving idols are Bryan Nickson Lomas, who was the youngest Malaysian diver to qualify for Athens 2004 Olympics at 14 years old, and Pandelela Rinong – who bagged two Olympic medals and is her current diving partner.
3. She made her Olympic Games debut at 17 years old
Image credit: @dhabitah_sabri
At just 22 years old, Dhabitah has already competed in two Olympic Games – Rio 2016 Olympics and Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She made her debut as an Olympian at 17 years old. After placing ninth in the 10m Platform Individual at her first Olympic Games, she called it a “great experience” then and hinted that she would compete in more Olympics in future.
Fast forward to three years later, and she qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after winning gold at the Asian Diving Cup 2019. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she competed in the Women’s 3m Springboard and made her way to the finals. She placed fourth at the finals, just barely missing out on the bronze medal. Her great performance has many Malaysians coming out to proudly cheer her on. She also beat her personal best score at this Games too.
4. She has a winning smile – but it’s her honesty that recently won over Malaysians
Dhabitah continues to smile even while giving an emotional interview
Image credit: @ASTROARENA
Dhabitah is well known for her winning smile, admitting that smiling helped her get over her nerves after gaining attention for it. But the pandemic hasn’t been easy for anyone due to strict Covid-19 safety measures, including the two-time Olympian.
In a viral interview with Astro Arena after clinching fourth place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Dhabitah shared that she “enjoyed her dive and game” while in tears.
However, Dhabitah said she was not crying from sadness, but because she was proud of herself. This is because things “went downhill” not long before the 2020 Olympics began, as she admitted to questioning herself and losing her confidence. The national lockdown contributed to this, as it had been difficult and stressful for her to train while being unable to go home to see her family and friends in person due to the “sports bubble”.
5. She had to juggle between being a student and Olympian – twice
Image credit: @dhabitah_sabri
Training for the Olympic Games is no easy feat. Dhabitah had to navigate her training while keeping up with schoolwork and exams as a student. At her first Olympic Games in 2016, she was studying for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) due a few months after. To keep up with her studies and prep for examinations, she was part of study groups with her high school friends.
Dhabitah was enrolled in the Faculty of Occupational Safety and Health at the University of Cyberjaya while competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – managing to train, compete, study and be an ordinary young adult who loves to play games and watch movies while at it.
6. She has more than 20 international medals under her belt
Image credit: @dhabitah_sabri
Dhabitah has been competing in international tournaments since 2012, with competitions including the Commonwealth Games and FINA Diving World Series, alongside the Olympics under her belt. She has medals to show for her attendance and efforts at representing the country too, with over 20 medals won. This includes three gold medals won at FINA Diving Grand Prix, four gold medals at Southeast Asia Games (SEA Games), and two gold medals at the Asian Diving Cup – just to name a few.
In 2022, Dhabitah added yet another medal to her trophy cabinet by securing a gold medal at the Hanoi 2021 SEA Games in the women’s 1m individual springboard event. It was also Malaysia’s first gold medal won at the biennial regional multi-sport event.
7. She’s a big fan of Harry Potter and K-pop music
Image credit: @dhabitah_sabri
Just like any other Gen Z on the block, Dhabitah is a big fan of K-pop music, a common passion she shares with diving partner, Pandelela. She’s shared several photos of K-pop concerts she attended on her official Instagram account too, including that of G Dragon and Taeyang, who are members of K-pop group, Big Bang.
She’s also a Potterhead – a moniker for fans of Harry Potter movies and books – sharing that the Harry Potter franchise, both books and movies, are what she turns to when she’s not busy training. She wants to visit Hogwarts too, if she gets the chance to do so.
8. She was the first female torch bearer at a Malaysia-hosted SEA Games
Dhabitah taking part in the cauldron lighting at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games, hosted by Malaysia.
Image credit: Berita Harian
Cauldron lighting is a ceremonious part of the SEA Games’ opening ceremony that marks the start of the tournament. At the 2017 Southeast Asian Games, hosted in Malaysia at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Dhabitah had the honour of bearing the torch and lighting the cauldron in front of an audience of over 84,000.
She did so with style too, as she had to be suspended in the air to reach the cauldron, which she said made her feel like Superwoman. She is also said to be the first female Malaysian athlete to light the torch ever since Malaysia began hosting the SEA Games in 1965.
9. She received several awards after her Olympic Games debut
Image credit: @dhabitah_sabri
In the company of her hard-earned medals for tournaments are awards Dhabitah won for her performance before and after her 2016 Olympics debut. She received the Federal Territory (FT) Best Sportswoman award at the 2015/2016 FT & Sports Awards, and was crowned Best Young Athlete at the 2016 Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) 100PLUS Awards.
She was also one of 36 individuals who received the Ahli Mahkota Wilayah (AMW) award in recognition of her achievements at the 2019 Federal Territory Day celebrations, held at Istana Negara. She was handed her award by the King, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
10. She hopes to inspire other girls to pick up diving
Image credit: @dhabitah_sabri
Dhabitah exited the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with her chin held high, while carving out a promising and noteworthy role for herself in the future of Malaysian divers. She shared that she hopes to be an inspiration to other girl divers wishing to pick up the sport through her Olympic Games performance. She wants to see more new blood in the sport so they can show off their talent and experience competing too.
Facts to get to know Malaysian Olympian, Nur Dhabitah Sabri
It’s not easy having to compete at the Olympic Games while having all eyes on you at a young age. This list of Nur Dhabitah Sabri facts shows that she manages to do this – navigating her way through various international tournaments as a national athlete while juggling her studies – all with a smile on her face.
We look forward to seeing her at more tournaments, and cheering her on in the future.
Read more here:
- Facts about budding Malaysian badminton player, Lee Zii Jia
- Facts about Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, the badminton duo who won an Olympic bronze medal
- Malaysian athletes making their Olympic Games debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Cover image adapted from: @dhabitah_sabri and @dhabitah_sabri
This article was updated on 9th April 2022.