PRINCIPAL HAS HIGH HOPES FOR TALENTED YOUNG MALAYSIAN

By Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- He may be years away from the 2016 Olympic Games
but such is 11-year-old Mohammad Amirul Adam Mohd Zahed's horse-riding talent
that his school principal has proclaimed that he will go on to win a gold medal
for Malaysia at the world's premier sporting event.

Raminder Vig's conviction was apparently shared by the crowd which erupted
into applause as Adam walked up to the stage to receive the Principal's Award at
The Winchester School's prize-giving ceremony honouring students for their
achievements here recently.

With his parents Mohd Zahed Terence Abdullah and Nora Hashim watching
proudly, the young man received the coveted award from the guest-of-honour,
Malaysian consul-general in Dubai Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin.

"We have a young man among us who I truly believe is going to be in the
2016 Olympics representing Malaysia. And I believe that this guy is going to be
a gold medallist, the first gold medal that Malaysia is going to get in
equestrian dressage," Vig said in his introduction of Adam, one of 49 Malaysian
students enrolled at the school.

According to him, the school's top award was accorded to someone who
contributed that little extra to school life whether in the academic field,
sports or others.

It was Adam's passion for horses from a young age that led his parents to
enrol him at Dubai's Jebel Ali Equestrian Club.

Syed Mohamad Hasrin had some pertinent advice for The Winchester School
students, telling them to cherish the experience of having friends from diverse
cultures and traditions.

"Your interaction with fellow students from all the four corners of the
globe will greatly enrich you as you prepare to face the globalised world.
You're already a globalised community with 85 nationalities present at the
school," he said.

Recalling his school days, the consul-general said he went to a primary
school in Malaysia's state of Kelantan before ending up at the University of
Arizona in the United States under a Malaysian government scholarship programme.

"That was my first real exposure to globalisation -- I was in a foreign
land with different cultures, food and so on. Before going to Arizona, my
exposure to globalisation was limited to Coca-Cola, Pizza Hut and Star Wars," he
said.

Syed Mohamad Hasrin said students in Malaysia nowadays received greater
exposure than his generation, with the Internet being widely available even in
remote areas.

"They can surf the Internet and enjoy chatting with their friends across
the globe. Yet such interaction can't beat direct interaction like what you're
enjoying in school," he said.

The consul-general said his experience in Arizona changed him and improved
his intercultural skills, a tool he described as important for a
diplomat.

"So this intercultural experience that you have now is a unique advantage
that cannot be replaced. Enjoy it fully and, trust me, you'll not regret it when
you become older like me. Remember that diversity is strength, not a weakness,"
he added.

Located in the heart of the residential community called "The Gardens" in
Jebel Ali Village, The Winchester School teaches the national curriculum for
England.
-- BERNAMA