Yesterday I watched the football match between Manchester United vs Everton, which ended up Reds lead to a 2 - 0 victory and a 12 lead points triumph. What a splendid way could I had ended my night.
I switched off the television. That sports channel.
8 in the morning, I switched it on back. I saw Azizul Hasni Awang, the Pocket Rocket Man was interviewed by a sports anchor during an event. So I decided to watch the interview. Who would have guessed, just now, could have been one of inspiring moments in my life.
It's not just the way he talked that impressed me, the content that he gave inspired me. I was surprised, how could an athlete could have spoken such good English? Then he said that he had been living in Australia with his coach and wife for his training. That's good.
What made me amazed is that all this while as long I saw Malay athletes interviewed with people who converse in English, they answered in Malay. Even though they could speak in English, they preferred to speak in Malay. Maybe that is from their environment, so they should not be blamed. So keep it that way which is better, isn't it?
Well sometimes choosing a different pathway would lead to a better outcome.
There are two things I would like to highlight from that interview.
Firstly, he chose to be in the cycling world. He was a bright student as his family wanted him to be a doctor based on his academic results. He followed his parents' wish which was to focus more on his studies but at one point, he decided that his career was to be a cyclist. Maybe from what I have stated, it doesn't convey enough emotion as I expected it to be.
Imagine that you're the one who was in that position. Stuck between two pathways. You know you could excel both in pathways, but either one with pros and cons. He knew if he could have followed his parents wishes, he would be a doctor, and probably have a life with good income and living treating people. If he chose to be a cyclist, he maybe ended up a flop and would not go further in his life to achieve the best that he could.
But with his passion, he chose to be a cyclist. He is not 'anak derhaka' or any terms similar to that to me, he followed his parents wish which was to studied well and there were already blessings from his parents. He believe he could do it that way, and he did it. Look where he stands now, he is a world class athlete. Something that not all Malaysian athletes would have achieve it.
Secondly, he was asked with this question,
" We've been informed that you area part time student learning in Melbourne. Could you juggle up between your time and trainings? "
He answered, he believed that Malaysian athletes lack of knowledge. They could not just lie on their sports career, they have to explore more. To him,
"Knowledge is power"
To me, this is a surprising statement as the same time embarrassed as I'm a student who should have studying right now, Lol joke . I usually hear this from a leader or a professor, someone that have their life dedicated to gain knowledge, but not from an athlete.
This could be reflected in my life, sometimes I lack of enthusiasm to learn. Maybe because of I lack of motivation or doing the same thing every day makes me bored. Well that's human nature, we have to think ways to excite ourselves at the same time studying seriously. To see an athlete who says those kind of words just amazed me, not too amazed, but it motivates me.
With knowledge, he's a step forward than the other athletes that are same level as him. He has mission and he knows where he would go in coming years. I respected him for that because of his determination and as a world class athlete, he is not brought away with any compliments. He just... yeah, keep moving forward.
It's a wonderful thing to see a Malay, Malaysian and most of all a Muslim to achieve this far. Maybe his achievements were not as big as other world class athletes, but to Malaysians especially the Malay, he is moving forward and should have been a role model to the young generations in Malaysia.
As a student,I am inspired. Even an athlete dying for knowledge, I should have learn better and should not live in an easy and fancy world.
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