By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Nov 19: Sarawakian skateboarding sensation, 24-year-old Mohd Nur Firdaus Marzuki is a world-class athlete but he needs well-equipped skating facilities here to stay at the top of his sporting profession.
Mohd Nur Firdaus said that this is the challenge faced by skateboarding athletes like himself here.
Despite the lack in facilities, he still excels in the sport in the country and will represent Malaysia at the South East Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines from November 30 to December 10.
“To be top athletes in the sport, we must have the facilities like skate parks and have more exposure like training with top skateboarders in the country, to do well or even have international exposure.
“Being ranked the number one skateboarder in Borneo makes it more difficult for me because I have to maintain my position and I need to progress further all the time,” he added.
Mohd Nur Firdaus said this to reporters at a press conference before he received the state and national flags from Tupong assemblyman, Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman at Sarawak Skateboarding Association (SKA) office, today in a handover ceremony.
“But despite all these handicaps, I am glad that I am selected to represent Malaysia for the SEA Games in the Philippines and I will give my best to win,” said Mohd Nur Firdaus who had been in the sport for 15 years.
He said his focus in the SEA Games is to out-skate his competitors from Thailand as they are not only recognised as very good in the region but also the world.
“I have seen these Thai athletes perform in a recent competition in China and these guys are good in big obstacle challenges in the skate park. These are the things that I need to improve on and prepare myself for,” he revealed.
“In Bintulu, where I train after work, we do not have these facilities at the standard (of international competition) but is acceptable for beginners to learn on,” he lamented.
He will participate in two SEA Games events, namely the Street Skating and Tricks Skating. He has set his sights on the podium.
Mohd Nur Firdaus who is a product of SKA disclosed that as a top skateboarder in the country, he has recently represented Malaysia three times.
“In the forthcoming SEA Games, I will try to do my best to be on the podium with a medal for Sarawak and Malaysia,” he said. — DayakDaily
