GEORGE TOWN, July 5— National karate exponent Muhammad Arif Afifuddin Ab Malik is determined to make a comeback from a recent surgery for his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, to defend his gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026.
The gold medallist in the men’s 84 kilogramme kumite (sparring) event at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games is currently undergoing rehabilitation and is confident that he can make a stronger recovery in the next six months before his knee is fully healed in 10 months, according to the head coach.
“I suffered an ACL injury at the K1 Series A Championship in Salzburg, Austria after being taken down in the first round earlier this year and I have just undergone surgery for it.
“I am now focusing on physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Hopefully, I will come back stronger by next year,” he told Bernama at the Penang State Sports Awards 2023/2024 ceremony at the Amari Food Gallery near here today.
At the ceremony, the 26-year-old athlete was crowned Penang 2023/2024 Sportsman of the Year and received a trophy and cash prize of RM4,000 presented by state executive councillor for Youth, Sports and Health, Daniel Gooi Zi Sen.
Commenting on the recognition, Muhammad Arif described the award as a morale booster to continue striving for greater and more prestigious success on the international stage.
“I never thought I would be selected as the Sportsman of the Year because I was nominated before but didn’t win. This year, I got it. I am grateful and very happy,” he said.
The 1.83-metre tall exponent also expressed his intention to continue his Masters studies in business or sports science in the near future.
For the record, Muhammad Arif created history when he won the Hangzhou Asian Games gold medal after defeating 2021 World Championship bronze medallist Daniyar Yuldashev from Kazakhstan 10-4 in the final.
Gold medal winner in chess at the 21st Malaysia Games (SUKMA Sarawak), Chua Jia Tien, was crowned Penang Sportswoman of the Year 2023/2024 and her father collected the award on her behalf.
Meanwhile, Gooi said the presentation of incentives this year involved 12 categories of major state sports awards including a new category introduced for the first time, which is the Deaf Sports Excellence Award.
He said the new award is dedicated to the deaf sports community in Penang and reflects the state’s commitment to recognising the achievement of athletes from all walks of life despite physical disability, to instil an inclusive spirit in the development of state sports.
“This incentive is a sign of the state’s appreciation for the hard work and commitment of the athletes, promoters and all state sports personnel in raising the prestige of Penang sports,” he said.
He also congratulated the state contingent whose medal tally of 41 gold, 45 silver and 53 bronze medals secured fourth place overall at the 21st SUKMA in Sarawak last year, which showed a 39 per cent progress compared to the 20th SUKMA where Penang had to settle for seventh place.
The gold medal winner for the chess event at the 10th Asia Pacific Deaf Games Championship (APDG) last year, Loo Pin Xie, 20, received the Deaf Sports Excellence Award. — Bernama
