"This Medal Is For My Mom" — Syafiq Zuber Presents Gold Medal As Belated Mother's Day Gift
"At first, I did not make any promises to her but God willing, I was able to win today and fulfill her wish," said the athlete.
By Parvinsivam Thirunamakarasu — 16 May 2023, 10:41 AM
Yesterday, 15 May, national Taekwondo athlete Syafiq Zuber triumphed with a gold medal in the men's kyorugi below 80kg event at the 2023 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games
According to New Straits Times, the 23-year-old defeated his opponent, Naufal Khairudin Osanando from Indonesia, with a score of 2-1.
His victory is an encore to his win during the 2021 edition of the SEA Games in the same event.
Syafiq told reporters that the gold medal was a belated Mother's Day gift for his mother, Salma Shafie
He told Bernama that his mother had asked him to do his best to win the gold medal.
"At first, I did not make any promises to her but God willing, I was able to win today and fulfill her wish. It is not easy to defend the gold medal," he was quoted as saying.
He expressed gratitude to his coach, Syed Taufiq Syed Hamid, and the National Sports Institute for their assistance in preparing him for the biennial games
"I still can't believe that I won. There was pressure as it is not easy to defend a title," he told New Straits Times.
Syafiq explained that he spent two months training in South Korea and had to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri there, but he felt it was worth the sacrifice in the end.
