They say if you don’t intend to be the best in what you do, there’s no point in really doing anything. Malaysian sprint sensation Badrul Hisyam is fully aware of the challenges that await him on the international arena and none of it is getting to his nerve at the moment.
He’s widely known around the country for ‘unofficially’ breaking Watson Nyambek’s 100m record at the ASEAN School Games in Brunei last year – something that sky-rocketed his reputation all over the country. With great expectation, comes great responsibilities. But at the same time, it comes with great rewards.
Badrul was officially announced as a ‘Friend of PUMA’ in a ceremony that was held at One Utama earlier this week, where he was also present to officiate the new Ignite Ultimate running footwear. We caught up with him for a quick chat after the ceremony, where he spoke of his delight regarding the PUMA deal – pointing out that his idol Usain Bolt, is also part of the PUMA family.
“The deal is a major breakthrough for me. My idol Usain Bolt is also an ambassador for PUMA and he has received their sponsorship since the age of 15. Me? I’m 19 this year, so there’s no much difference there!” Badrul enthused.
At the tender age of 19, Badrul is consistently clocking good times in most events he’s competed in. After his performance at the ASEAN School Games, Badrul was urged by many to compete abroad regularly, in order to improve his timings, besides building his reputation on the international circuit. But the man himself has got other plans for the time being.
“I completely trust the advice of my coach and I have a very close relationship with him. He instills the confidence in me. Obviously there’s a need to compete abroad, but there’s plenty of time for me to do that, as I intend to compete for years to come.
“Right now, I’m fully focused on local competitions. I’m currently preparing for the Pahang Open in March and maybe I can break the 100m record there, especially with these new shoes! I also have SUKMA 2017 next year, so that’s on the plan as well,” he added.
Unlike ordinary athletes, Badrul isn’t vague about his ambitions. He knows exactly what he wants. He’s aware that Malaysia has often struggled to make an impression on the international arena. He’s aware that 2004 was the last time Malaysia had a male sprinter competing in the Olympics (Nazmizan Muhammad). And he’s hell bent on making it to the 2020 Olympics in Japan.
“This whole PUMA deal has amplified my confidence so much and right now, I’m just motivated to keep scaling bigger heights. Success doesn’t come easily, it’s a fact and I know that. There’ll be a lot of difficult moments and sacrifices will be necessary.
“These are the things I will keep in my head every day, as I continue to pursue my dream of qualifying for the 2020 Japan Olympic Games,” he added.
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