KUALA LUMPUR – National track cycling champion Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang is the source of inspiration for the country’s young karate athlete Zakiah Adnan to continue to forge a name for herself in the karate arena.
Describing Mohd Azizulhasni, dubbed the ‘The Pocket Rocketman’, as her idol, Zakiah, 20, however, could only smile at the great cyclist who hails from Dungun, Terengganu from afar without greeting him at an award ceremony following her status as a new athlete.
“I have seen but only from a distance. If possible after this I want to prove that I can stand as tall as him.
“Usually I will follow his development closely on Instagram including watching any tournament he participates in if there is live coverage. Even though it is a different sport, he is still a source of inspiration for me to succeed in karate,” she told Bernama.
The athlete from Kuala Terengganu is among those selected to represent the country to compete in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China from Sept 23 to Oct 8.
Previously, Malaysian Karate Federation (MAKAF) president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad announced the selection of Zakiah after the athlete successfully clinched a bronze medal in the kumite event for the 61 kilogramme (kg) category at the 2023 Asian Karate Championships (AKC) in Melaka.
Nur Azmi fulfilled his promise to give slots at the Asian Games if his charges managed to contribute medals at the AKC, and will also bring all the selected athletes to compete in three tournaments in Tunisia, Morocco and Europe as preparation.
Regarding her preparations for the Hangzhou Asian Games, Zakiah, who will carry the national challenge in the same event, said that so far everything has gone smoothly and she aims to win a medal in her debut at the quadrennial games.
Apart from Zakiah, six other karate athletes have been selected to represent the country at the Asian Games namely Mohammad Arif Afifuddin, H. Sankar Sureeya, S. Prem Kumar and R. Shamendran for men, while in the women’s category are C. Shahmalarani and P. Madhuri who respectively will compete in individual kumite events.
Profile:
Full name: Zakiah Adnan
Age: 20 years
Origin: Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu
Number of siblings: Two (second child)
Idol: Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang
Hobby: Watching Korean dramas
Best achievement: Bronze in kumite 61kg catgegory at Asian Karate Championships 2023 – Bernama
