SHAH ALAM, Aug 16 (Bernama) -- Pahang taekwondo athlete Putera Arsyad Danish Mohd Afrizan expressed his delight after making a triumphant final appearance at the Malaysia Games (SUKMA), successfully defending his gold medal and now setting his sights on an opportunity to represent the country at the 2027 SEA Games in Malaysia.
The 20-year-old athlete demonstrated his dominance in the men’s under-68kg category by defeating Sarawak representative Joseph Wong 2-0 in the final at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) Shah Alam here today.
“I am very happy because I started from scratch training with the Pahang coach and managed to win two gold medals at SUKMA,” he told reporters after the medal presentation ceremony.
The impressive achievement is in line with his current status as part of the national development squad being prepared to take on greater challenges at the international level.
Putera Arsyad acknowledged that the status came with significant responsibility, given the high expectations placed on him to ensure an outright victory for the Tok Gajah contingent.
For the eldest of three siblings, this edition marked his final SUKMA appearance as he will exceed the 21-year-old eligibility limit by the time SUKMA 2028 is held.
As such, he placed particular emphasis on his preparations to ensure his final appearance at the biennial Games ended on the sweetest possible note.
He dedicated the victory to his family, who had always stood by him as he sought to prove his ability at various levels of competition.
“I want to make my family proud, make them happy and help my family. My target is to go to the SEA Games and win a medal or whatever. For now, I am focusing on the competitions this year first, and only next year will I focus on the SEA Games,” he said.
Meanwhile, the bronze medals in the category were shared by Kedah’s Muhammad Hadif and Federal Territories representative Ajairaj Singh Shadan.
— BERNAMA