WORLD JUNIOR WOODBALL CHAMPION AMSYAR SIRHAN INSPIRED TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS

KANGAR, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- The 2024 Woodball World Cup junior champion, Amsyar Sirhan Saifullah Saharuddin, dreams of securing a top-five spot in the men’s open category within the next five years.

The 18-year-old, who is currently pursuing a Diploma in Sports Science at Universiti Teknologi Mara’s (UiTM) Perlis branch in Arau, expressed optimism about achieving his goal, given his experience in the sport, which began at the age of 12.

Speaking to Bernama today, Amsyar Sirhan said that he planned to continue honing his woodball skills, and his recent World Junior Champion title served as a motivation to make his mark on the global stage.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect to win the Junior World Champion title; I was only aiming for a top-five position because the competition seemed tough this time, but in the end, I emerged as the junior singles champion.

“What I can say is that during the two weeks of woodball training, I was fully focused on various aspects, including swing techniques, shot positioning, and direction,” he said.

Amsyar Sirhan’s triumph as the World Junior Champion was shared on the UiTM Perlis Sports Unit Facebook page. The 2024 Woodball World Cup was held in Shaoxing, China, from Oct 14 to 20.

He successfully defended his title for the second consecutive year and credited his mother, Asmawana Aziz, 40, a woodball athlete from Perlis who represented Malaysia in the China tournament, as his inspiration.

“It can be said that my entire family—my younger brother, who is in Form One, and my parents—are all passionate about woodball,” he added, sharing his desire to compete in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand next year.

Amsyar Sirhan also thanked the Perlis State Woodball Association (PWNPs) and UiTM for their unwavering support during the championship.

Meanwhile, PWNPs president Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Kamarudin Hussin expressed pride in Amsyar Sirhan’s achievement, noting that it demonstrated his skill and proficiency in woodball.

“We aim to further enhance his performance by involving him in more competitions, especially at the Asian level,” Kamarudin said.

He added that a Woodball Youth Academy would be established in Perlis to encourage greater youth participation in the sport, in collaboration with the State Education Department to identify new talent.

-- BERNAMA