Glasgow 2026: Winning Historic Gold Medal In Judo Was Worth All The Sacrifices - Amir Daniel
GLASGOW, Aug 2 (Bernama) -- "Perhaps after this I can rest for a week and spend time with my family," claimed Amir Daniel Abdul Majeed immediately after winning Malaysia’s first-ever gold medal from judo in the Commonwealth Games.
Amir Daniel who marked a dream debut in the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, said all the sacrifices on the training ground and daily routine as a student finally paid off when he landed the Under-81 kilogram (kg) category gold at the Glasgow 2026 edition here.
He added that the victory was a deeply meaningful one for him as he had to juggle time between training, studies, and family.
The 21-year-old Penangite said his packed daily schedule left him with very little time for his loved ones, noting that he rarely had the opportunity to sit and chat with his mother.
"This medal is for all Malaysians. This is Malaysia's first-ever Commonwealth Games judo gold medal, and I can say this medal holds immense value. All the sacrifices, blood, sweat, and tears finally yielded the best success.
"The sacrifices were in terms of time and finances, aside from time with family. Every day I had to undergo training and continue my studies. There was never time for me to sit down and ask my mother how her day went," the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) student told Bernama.
During the final bout at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) today, Amir Daniel defeated South African judo exponent Timothy Meuwsen via waza-ari using a kata-guruma technique in a four-minute bout witnessed by his mother, Yeoh Suatkhim, and his sister, Nur Yasmeen, who were present at the venue.
The victory also saw Amir Daniel, ranked 117th in the world, upstage Meuwsen, who sits at 41st in the world, to present the national contingent with its eighth gold medal.
Despite this historic success, Amir Daniel had to endure a rehabilitation process after suffering a grade two medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear earlier this year, which required him to undergo several rounds of treatment.
However, the injury did not become an obstacle in his pursuit of success in Glasgow.
"I didn't view the injury as a setback, but something to learn from and overcome," he said.
After making history in Glasgow, Amir Daniel now shifts his focus to a bigger target - qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and challenging for a podium finish.
For the record, Amir Daniel previously made history by presenting the nation with its first-ever medal in judo at the Commonwealth Games stage when he won bronze in the Under-73kg category during the 2022 Birmingham edition.
-- BERNAMA
