FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD Amir Daniel Abdul Majeed of Malaysia stole the show in the recent Macau Cadet and Junior Asian Cup 2019 and Hong Kong Cadet and Junior Asian Cup 2019 judo championships.
Competing for the first time overseas, the 15-year-old Penang Free School student won one gold and three bronze medals from the two international championships.
Two other Malaysian judokas – Goh Xuan Le and Tan Tze Ning – who are also from Penang had a successful outing too. Xuan Le, 20, bagged one gold and one silver while Tze Ning, 16, collected one bronze medal.
Both Amir and Xuan Le, together with coach Chew Li Ying and referee Ooi Way Loon, flew home to a warm reception by state Youth and Sports Committee chairman Soon Lip Chee and their family members at the Penang International Airport at about 12.30am today. Tze Ning, meanwhile, was to fly back a day later.
The others who also welcomed them were Telok Bahang assemblyman Zolkifly Md Lazim, Penang State Sports Council director Frederick Tan, Malaysian Judo Federation secretary-general Johnny Khoo, Penang Judo Association vice-president Justin Khoo and coach Md Nashriq Md Nassir.
Soon said the creditable achievements of the three athletes showed that discipline was a very important factor in their success.
He added that they were among six judokas who benefited from a two-week training stint in Okayama Shoka University in Japan beginning from late May.
“They follow a time-table and a daily schedule of what they must do. Good result will follow when one does not give up. We want to send this message out to the selected athletes, some of whom are not taking it seriously,” Soon said.
“No problem if they fail. But if they keep trying, they will get the results. We’ll support those who are serious all the way.
“Penang have Nicol (David) and Datuk Lee Chong Wei. We want other sports to develop their champions.”
Tan advised athletes not to misuse the opportunity after being selected or the chance would go to someone else.
“These judokas have shown a lot of sacrifices for Penang. They still have a long way to go. But if they keep it up, they can get podium finish,” Tan said.
Both Soon and Tan lauded the efforts of the association’s officials, like Johnny and Justin, and the athletes’ parents for helping to groom the athletes.
For Amir, the two international tournaments could be the start of a bright journey towards judo glory if he keeps his focus and his head as well.
“I was nervous at the start. But after talking with my coach, I felt a bit more relaxed. Then, after I had won my first fight, I grew in confidence,” recalled Amir, who stands at about 174cm (5’7”) tall.
En route to the gold medal in the -73kg division of the Cadet (15-18 years) category in Macau, Amir overcame Lai Ka Hang of Hong Kong in the first round, Serikbol Yestay of Kazakhstan in the quarter-finals, Eisa Al Thumairi of United States Arab in the semi-finals and Tilegen Tynarbay of Kazakhstan in the final.
Chew said Amir fought a smart fight in the final against Tynarbay, attacking as often as he could and forcing his Kazakh rival to lose out because of three penalties.
“Amir has been trained since he was five years old by (Md) Nashriq. He also competed in the junior (Under-21) as he wanted to get the experience. As a coach, I told him to enjoy the contest,” she said.
Chew said Amir would be cutting down on his training as his PT3 (Form Three) examination is in September although he would participate in the National Junior meet in Terengganu next month.
Sharing Amir’s joy at the airport were his parents, Abdul Majeed Mohamed Hussain and Yeoliana Yeoh Suat Khim. Amir’s mother was busy recording the event live via her mobile phone to show it to Amir’s sister Yasmeen, who is now in Ireland studying medicine.
For Xuan Le, she found the going quite tough in the Asian Cup Junior Macau championship. She first lost to South Korean Jang Segun but beat a Macau opponent to claim the silver medal.
Although carrying an old back injury, Xuan Le managed to win a gold medal in the subsequent Junior championship in Hong Kong. She beat Ting Chang of Taiwan in the quarter-finals, Myagmarjav Vanchigdorj of Mongolia in the semi-finals and Steffi Burra of New Zealand in the final.
According to Chew, every night Xuan Le would look at videos of her rivals to study their strengths and weaknesses because she wanted to prepare herself well.
Beaming with pride at the airport was Xuan Le’s father, Wilson Goh, who has been giving her moral and financial support which included a year of study at the International Budo University in Japan last year.
“My focus now will be getting gold in the SEA Games with the team,” Xuan Le said. The Games will be held in the Philippines in December this year.
The third judoka, Tze Ning, too has the potential. The Chung Ling High School student has done well considering the limited time he has put into training because of his studies.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Law Suun Ting