Baru berusia sembilan tahun, namun nama Dania Sofea Zaidi sudah mendatangkan gerun kepada pihak lawan lebih berusia daripadanya.
Menurut penolong setiasusaha Persatuan Badminton Johor, Hafifah Hussin, kelincahan dan kematangan Sofea dalam sukan badminton amat menakjubkan dan semestinya Johor menganggap si cilik ini aset negeri yang perlu diberikan perhatian.
Tambah Hafifah, "Bakat Sofea dihidu ketika Kejohanan Remaja Johor ketika berusia 7 tahun.
"Setahun bersama kami, Sofea terus cemerlang apabila menjuarai kategori bawah 12 tahun perempuan Majlis Sekolah-Sekolah Johor (MSSD) dan ketiga Kejohanan Tertutup Johor."
Bila ditanya penglibatannya di dalam sukan badminton, murid Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Skudai, Johor Bahru ini berkata, "Saya mula pegang raket badminton seawal usia 4 tahun dan ketika itu bapa, Zaidi Mohamad, sebagai jurulatih. Saya suka badminton dan bercita-cita mahu menjadi pemain wanita terbaik di masa hadapan," jelas Sofea lagi.
Dalam Kejohanan Badminton Berpasukan Antara Negeri 2016 Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) baru-baru di Manjung Perak, Sofea menunjukkan kematangan apabila menewaskan lawan lebih berusia, namun pasukannya terkandas di peringkat separuh akhir.
Ammar Hakim
Sat Nov 19 2016
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