Believe it or not!
Injury, long lay-off can’t stop Sharmendran from glorious outing
MANY would have given up after a cartilage injury and eight months of recuperation, but not karate exponent R. Sharmendran. Even at 30, he never stopped believing in himself.
And he showed he is still a valuable asset to the national karate team by bringing home their third gold medal yesterday after beating Indonesia’s Kandou Ignatius Joshua 3-1 in the final held in Ninh Binh province.
It was also Sharmendran’s third straight Games gold medal in the men’s kumite below 75kg category.
Prior to the final, he had pulled off a 3-1 win over Vietnam’s Chu Duc Thinh and brushed aside Alejo Prince Izmen Louis Escover of the Philippines 10-3.
The last Malaysian karate exponent to win three straight gold medals in the Games was R. Puvaneswaran, who was undefeated from 2005 to 2009, and is now one of the coaches handling the national team.
Sharmendran’s feat saw the team achieve their three-gold medal target with one more day of competition to go.
“My confidence grew after I managed to beat the fighter from the host country in my opening round,” said Sharmendran.
“It was not easy as this is my first individual competition after my cartilage operation and I was out for about eight months
“I only had about six weeks to prepare to defend my title.
“I needed to believe in myself that I can pull this off and I have to thank my coaches and the association for the support given to me,” said Sharmendran, who went for surgery on his right knee in the middle of last year after he returned from the Olympics qualifiers in Paris.
Sharmendran only made his competitive comeback in February after the restructuring of the national squad under former international P. Arivalagan and he managed to compete in the team event at the South-east Asian Karate Championships the following month.
He now has a total of six medals from four SEA Games.
He also won two silvers in the men’s kumite below 67kg and team events when he made his debut in Myanmar in 2013.
Karate was not contested in the 2015 edition in Singapore but in Kuala Lumpur two years later, Sharmendran earned his breakthrough win in the below 75kg category while adding a bronze in the team event.
Meanwhile, two bronze medals were contributed by Amirah Syahirah in the women’s kumite below 68kg and by the women’s kata team of Lim Hui Ling, Chang Sin Yi and Khaw Yee Voon.
Zakiah Adnan missed out on a medal in her debut when she lost 2-8 to Cambodian Soudanihen Vann in the bronze playoff for the women’s above 68kg category.