A true underdog story
> Muhamad Heidy and his men’s team successfully defended their title as world’s No.2 dodgeball team
IMAGINE a sport where you can actually score points by hitting someone with a ball? Aside from the thrill of winning, think of it as a way to channel your frustration or anger.
Joking aside, it’s not as simple as it seems. Just ask team captain Muhamad Heidy Mohd Yusoff, who recently bagged the silver medal at the World Dodgeball Cup 2018 with his men’s team for the second consecutive year.
Muhamad Heidy, who is also one of the co-founders of the Malaysia Dodgeball Federation, led his team to defeat former champions England in the semis, but unfortunately came short in the finals against Austria.
The 28-year-old, who is a teambuilding coach by day and a dodgeball player by night, said: “I’ve always been a sports person since I was young. I immediately got hooked when I was first introduced to dodgeball back in college.”
Please share with us your journey to the Dodgeball World Cup. “Our first participation in the Dodgeball World Cup was in 2016 in Manchester, England took our opponents by surprise. “We went as underdogs, because nobody in the European countries had a clue about us, they didn’t expect us to do so well [as] we came in second that year. “Even though we lost to England [who went on to become 2016 champions], it still meant a lot to us and it just meant we can do so much more. “Two years later, we were playing in the Dodgeball World Cup 2018 on the grandest stage of all in Madison Square Garden, New York. “It was a really tough competition because everyone stepped up their game to earn the title of world champion. “In the quarter-finals, we came head to head with the host country (USA), and being [surrounded] by their supporters cheering for them, it was challenging.
“We thought we wouldn’t stand a chance against them, but somehow we just knew we had to in order to make it to the next round.
“We managed to pull through and advanced to the semi-finals against the 2016 world champion (England).
“At this stage, the odds were against us but once again we made a comeback ... and defeated them.
“The feeling was really special, we knew we weren’t doing it for ourselves, but for the country we are representing.”
Were there any challenges throughout the journey? “It has never been easy because [we are] not full-time athletes.
“Like any other person, we have our day jobs and only at night we are free to train, sometimes even until midnight. [We have followed this routine] every day for the past two years.
“A lot of people came up to us and expressed how impressed they are, but what they see are only the results, they don’t see past the surface into what we put ourselves through in our daily lives – the challenges and the sacrifices we have to make.
“To train for two whole years just for that one short moment, it’s still worth it. It’s an experience I would never trade for anything.”
How often do you train? “We train six times a week, including personal and team training. [We] are really serious about what we do, hence we tend to go all out when it comes to training.
“We managed to score a partnership to train with Angkatan Tentera Malaysia in 2016, and after that with Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia.
“Needless to say, it was an eyeopener for all of us to have the chance to train together [with the military].”
How well do the players in the team get along? “Even in corporate jobs, chances are we see our own colleagues way more than our families. It’s the same for us dodgeball players, we spend so much time together that we see each other as family.
“And like all families, there will always be arguments but that aside, we truly are like a family. You can have a fight with a friend and call off the friendship, but you can’t do that with family.”
How supportive are your parents? “As you may know, the typical Asian parents’ mindset goes along the lines of ‘study well and then get a job that is worthwhile’, so it was really hard for my parents.
“At one point, it took a toll on my personal business and possibly my health, because I’m not only a trainer, a coach, [and] a dodgeball player, but I’m also the co-founder of Malaysia Dodgeball Federation, so there is a lot of administrative work which needs to be done.
“I do understand my parents’ worries, they are the ones that push me and got me better, they are my driving force behind my success and I’m ever so grateful to them.”