Amir Daniel Creates History, Wins Malaysia’s First Judo Gold at Commonwealth Games

GLASGOW: “Maybe after this I can rest for a week and spend time with my family.”

That was the reaction of Amir Daniel Abdul Majeed after all his sacrifices in terms of time and daily routine as a student finally paid off when he delivered Malaysia’s first ever gold medal in the judo event throughout the country’s history of participation in the Commonwealth Games.

The success in winning the under‑81 kilogram (kg) category at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games was very meaningful for the 21‑year‑old athlete, who had all this while been forced to divide his time between training, studies and family.

The Penang native said that his packed daily schedule meant that time with loved ones was very limited, and he rarely had the opportunity to spend time chatting with his mother.

“This medal is for all Malaysians. This is Malaysia’s first judo gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and I can say that this medal is of very high value. All the sacrifices, blood, sweat and tears poured in have finally borne the best success.

“The sacrifice was not only in terms of time and finances, but also time with family. Every day I have to undergo training and continue my studies. There was never any time for me to sit down and ask my mother how her day was,” said the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) student to Bernama.

In the final at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) today, Amir Daniel defeated South Africa’s representative, Timothy Meuwsen, via waza‑ari resulting from the kata‑guruma technique in a four‑minute bout witnessed by his mother Yeoh Suatkhim and his sister Nur Yasmeen.

The victory also saw Amir Daniel, who is ranked 117th in the world, defeat Meuwsen, who is ranked 41st in the world, to deliver the eighth gold medal for the national contingent.

Behind this historic success, Amir Daniel had to go through a recovery process after suffering a grade two medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear earlier this year, which required him to undergo several series of treatments.

However, the injury did not become an obstacle in his quest for success in Glasgow.

“I do not see the injury as a setback, but rather as something to be learned from and overcome,” he said.

After making history in Glasgow, Amir Daniel has now shifted his focus to a bigger target, which is to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and to pursue a podium finish.

As a record, Amir Daniel previously made history when he delivered Malaysia’s first medal in judo at the Commonwealth Games through a bronze medal in the under‑73kg category at the Birmingham 2022 edition.

BERNAMA