BY NAZRUL ZAWAWI
KUCHING: The stakes are high and this is not lost on Muhd Zul Adly Majeni who will be bowling for a gold medal at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin which will take place from June 17-25.
The 27-year-old tenpin bowler from Kuching is one of three Sarawakian athletes who will represent Malaysia at the championship.
He has been keeping a strict training regimen with his coach who has been putting him through the paces almost every night in preparation or competition.
“I am very happy to have been given the opportunity to undergo intensive training. This will help me increase my self-confidence before the competition begins.
“But truth be told I am a little nervous thinking about going up against competitors from other countries around the world.
“I aim to win the gold medal at this tournament as I have prepared to the best of my ability for it,” he said.
Zul said this after he paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Women, Early Childhood and Community Well-being Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah here on Tuesday (June 6).
Zul expressed hope that his team will be able to win three gold medals for all tenpin bowling categories – singles, doubles and group at the upcoming tournament.
He has faced challenges related to his intellectual disability, including adapting to new environments, managing stress and anxiety, and communicating with coaches and teammates.
But despite these challenges, he has shown a strong commitment to his sport and a determination to succeed.
“I am not worried about this tenpin bowling category because Zul’s coach Myron Khoo Hock Ming will also participate in the ‘double unified’ with him,” said Special Olympics Kuching president Datin Dayang Mariani Abang Zain.
She said the athletes will leave for Berlin earlier, before the games start, because these athletes will be celebrated by the cities around Berlin.
“They will have their own adoptive families when they are there (Berlin) later, and they will also join the festivities there. One of them is dinner on a steamship,” she said.
Mariani said this shows the support of the local community for the involvement of the athletes in these games.
