SELANGOR: For 19-year-old Kuching fighter Mohamad Zulhafiz, his second Malaysia Games (SUKMA) gold medal came with a familiar price: time spent away from the family he credits for keeping his taekwondo journey moving forward.
Zulhafiz defeated Federal Territories’ Ng Kar Weng 2-0 in the Middleweight final today, adding another gold to Sarawak’s taekwondo haul after Allexandre Axcell had earlier struck gold in the Bantamweight category.
“It is very, very satisfying because the journey was not easy. At first, I had to be away from my family. There were many sacrifices and many times when I was separated from them.
“Today, I get to meet my mother and father again and return home to them. That makes this gold even more meaningful,” he said after the final.
The victory was no surprise to Zulhafiz, who said his experience from SUKMA 2024 and years of preparation had given him confidence heading into the competition.
“I expected that I could win this. I brought my experience from SUKMA 2024 with me today, so I was confident,” he said.
Zulhafiz said he became increasingly composed as the competition progressed, choosing to rely on his tactical awareness rather than simply chasing big points.
“In the first two games, I was always thinking about beating my opponents by a big margin. But in the last game, I decided to just play using my brain.
“I focused on managing the time and maintaining the advantage. It was a very comfortable 2-0 win,” he said.
The Kuching fighter, who has now claimed two SUKMA gold medals, said he intends to continue his studies while pursuing his ambitions in taekwondo.
He also hopes his performances can earn him a place in the national team and eventually give him the opportunity to compete in front of his home crowd in Kuching.
“I hope I will get the opportunity to perform in Kuching. Playing at home would give me the support of my family and all the advantages we have, and I will use them,” he said.
With another gold already secured, Zulhafiz now has his sights set higher with the national team next on his list.
“God-willing, I will try my very best to play for the national team,” he said.
