National judoka Amir Daniel Majeed made history by delivering Malaysia’s first judo gold medal at the Commonwealth Games after winning the men’s under-81kg category.
Amir Daniel defeated South Africa’s Timothy Meuwsen by waza-ari with a kata-guruma technique in the four-minute final at the Scottish Event Campus.
The victory was made even more remarkable as Amir Daniel, ranked 117th in the world, overcame world No 41 Meuwsen, who settled for silver.
He booked his place in the final after defeating Australia’s Keishin Ochi by yuko with an utsuri-goshi technique in the semi-finals.
The historic gold made Amir Daniel the first Malaysian judoka to stand on the top tier of the Commonwealth Games podium, while also setting a new national benchmark in the sport.
The triumph marked Malaysia’s eighth gold medal at the Glasgow games.
“Perhaps after this I can rest for a week and spend time with my family,” said Amir Daniel after winning.
He said the victory was a deeply meaningful one for him as he had to juggle time between training, studies, and family.
The 21-year-old Penangite said his packed daily schedule left him with little time for his loved ones, noting that he rarely had the opportunity to sit and chat with his mother.
“This medal is for all Malaysians. This is Malaysia’s first-ever Commonwealth Games judo gold medal, and I can say this medal holds immense value. All the sacrifices, blood, sweat, and tears finally yielded the best success.
“The sacrifices were in terms of time and finances, aside from time with family. Every day I had to undergo training and continue my studies. There was never time for me to sit down and ask my mother how her day went,” the Universiti Sains Malaysia student told Bernama.
His four-minute bout in the final was witnessed by his mother, Yeoh Suatkhim, and his sister, Nur Yasmeen, who were present at the venue.
Amir Daniel had to endure a rehabilitation process after suffering a grade two medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear earlier this year, which required him to undergo several rounds of treatment.
The injury did not become an obstacle in his pursuit of success in Glasgow.
“I didn’t view the injury as a setback, but something to learn from and overcome,” he said.
He now shifts his focus to a bigger target – qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and challenging for a podium finish.
Amir Daniel previously made history by winning Malaysia’s first medal in judo at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham when he won the bronze in the under-73kg category.