Going for gold in sports and studies

AIMING to represent the country in the Olympic Games one day, Mohamad Qamarul Azizi Zalela (pic) knows he has to be disciplined.

Currently pursuing his Certificate in Business Management at MSU College Shah Alam, the judoka knows that he has a long and challenging journey ahead – especially after he suffered an injury that caused him to miss out on the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in 2018.

He had trained hard for the national event and was disappointed.

His knee injury required surgery and it took him almost 18 months to recover.

Now the student is gearing to make a comeback.

Determined to succeed academically and in judo, he is grateful for his family’s continuous support and encouragement.

Mohamad Qamarul practises on his own daily. For him, it is only by having self-discipline and working hard that he can achieve his goals.

“Discipline is an essential foundation to succeed in any sport because there’s no way a coach can fully monitor the progress of an athlete 24/7.

“The athlete himself must have the initiative to improve his skills and techniques.”

Mohamad Qamarul’s talent for judo was discovered in his primary years when he was selected to join the Sekolah Sukan Malaysia Terengganu, in Gong Badak.

It was here that he was trained and guided by professional coaches.

Having a judo athlete cousin who had represented the country in international tournaments inspired him to learn more about the combat sport.

Participating in a string of local tournaments boosted his confidence as he began to realise his potential.

Representing Terengganu, Mohamad Qamarul participated in the 2015 National Senior Judo Championship and bagged gold.

The win was followed by a string of gold, silver and bronze medals from 2015 to 2019.