Coach's Sacrifice Pays Off As Amir Daniel Delivers Malaysia's Historic Judo Gold
GEORGE TOWN (Penang, Malaysia), Aug 5 (Bernama) -- Behind the success of Amir Daniel Abdul Majeed in delivering Malaysia's first-ever gold medal in judo at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games lies the great sacrifice of his Malaysian coach Md Nashriq Md Nasir.
Md Nashriq, 41, said that time with his wife and four children had to be sacrificed to realise the dream of producing a champion.
"For example, recently we underwent training in Mongolia for three weeks, then went to Qingdao, China for a week before heading to the Commonwealth Games.
"Right after returning, we will face SUKMA (Malaysia Games), and after that, we will prepare for the Asian Games," he told reporters at the Penang International Airport here on his return from Glasgow last night.
Md Nashriq said his wife, Nur Fadhila Abdul Manaf, 38, had to switch careers from an office job to working from home to make it easier to manage their four children, aged between two and 13, as he was frequently away from home.
Md Nashriq, who has been coaching Amir Daniel since the athlete was five years old, said the success in Glasgow did not come by chance, but was the result of discipline and continuous training over many years.
He praised Amir Daniel's determination and discipline in his pursuit of success as an athlete.
"Although Amir suffered an injury early in the year which forced him to rest for nearly three months and not take part in any competitions, he managed to bounce back when he returned to action last June," he said.
Md Nashriq said the feat of the 22-year-old athlete would inspire young Malaysian athletes to believe that they too can achieve success on the world stage.
Earlier, Amir Daniel and Md Nashriq were given a rousing welcome with cheers and thunderous applause from representatives of the Penang State Sports Council, family members and friends, as well as state Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen.
On Aug 2, Amir Daniel made history for Malaysia after he defeated South African Timothy Meuwsen to win gold in the men's under-81kg category. He had won bronze in the under-73kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Gooi said Amir Daniel will be given a reward under the state government's Sports Victory Incentive Scheme, and the amount will be announced by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
"On behalf of the Penang state government, we extend our congratulations and accolades to Amir Daniel for this truly historic achievement,” he told reporters at the airport.
Meanwhile, Amir Daniel said he was moved by the reception and was happy to share the success with his family and friends.
The Universiti Sains Malaysia student said he would resume training today as preparation for the Asian Games, which are scheduled to take place in September.
"After this, my focus is to prepare for the Asian Games. My long-term target is to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics," he said.
-- Bernama
