[VIDEO] Teacher Receives Award For Motivating Amputee Student To Finish 100M Race
"As a teacher, if the student is keen, I will help them so that their talent will stand out," said Cikgu Intan.
By May Vin Ang — 14 Nov 2023, 01:54 PM
A teacher, who motivated her amputee student to complete a 100m race in a viral TikTok video, has been honoured with an award at the National Youth Premier Awards last weekend
Teacher Intan Zulaikha Jusoh, fondly known as Cikgu Intan, received the Special Inspirational Award along with RM10,000 for her touching deed at the ceremony on Saturday, 11 November.
The video, which went viral in August, captured the heartwarming moment as the 35-year-old teacher ran along the track to encourage her student — 11-year-old Muhammad Aqil Naufal Zahiran, who was competing against other able-bodied students — to cross the finish line.
Cikgu Intan, who teaches at Sekolah Kebangsaan Felda Lepar Utara 1 in Jerantut, Pahang, was accompanied by Aqil as she received the award from Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh
According to New Straits Times, Cikgu Intan said she encouraged Aqil, who was interested in sports, to take part in the race despite the absence of a special needs category.
"Previously, Aqil did not participate in sports due to his physical disability, but when I asked him if he wanted to take part, he agreed," she said, as quoted by Bernama.
"As a teacher, if the student is keen, I will help them so that their talent will stand out.
"I'm grateful for this award, I really didn't know before that my running had been recorded... Then two days later, I found out it had gone viral," she added.
Meanwhile, Aqil is now undergoing sports training with the Malaysian Amputee Football Association (MAFA), thanks to the encouragement of his family and school
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has also arranged for Aqil, who lost his left leg due to a bacterial infection in 2015, to have a prosthetic leg fitted, enabling him to participate in more sporting activities.
"I saw the effort Aqil made to finish his race, this is the mentality of a champion," wrote Yeoh in September.
Aqil, who is proud of his teacher receiving the special award, said he hopes to represent Malaysia as a national football player one day.
